Absolutely, I suggest the talk to about 3 lenders! I try to get them to actually qualify for a loan prior to making an offer...save face...so to speak!  Good point!

Lisa - absolutely, I agree! But please, PLEASE do this: tell both lenders you are double submitting. Otherwise it's like an agent doing a ton of research and then the prospect saying, "Thanks but Agent B already found those for us." That is if you are getting a REAL pre-approval. 

Get your cleints to people you know and trust. Avoid the internet lenders and certain brokers. I think one is enough if the one can give you the answers you need to proceed. It not like the lenders are really bsuy at this point.

Apply and apply more.  One thing you always hear is that the more that check your credit the lower you score........ BULL, you get told that to keep you from being a good consumer and shopping.  FACT .... ALL LIKE INQUIRES IN A 30 DAY TIME FRAME COUNT AS ONE........ great advice to your clients

Side comment as a Cal Lu 1983 grad........... how has the area change in the last 20 years?

Bill is right and if your loan officer tells you differently they either do not know the rules changed (which is scary) or they are lying (which is scary). There was a time when multiple pulls did affect your credit but even then only mildly. HOWEVER, there have been times when, for example, the borrower needed a 680 and had a 681 to begin with but upon second pull, for some OTHER reason, they had a 678 - for example - and because of other factors there could be no exception of the score. You do need to be aware of that as well.

This is an absolutely excellent topic for discussion and it is vital that homebuyers understand this principle, they need to know what to do, or they will be left out in the rain activity.

If what Ken Cook writes can  happen, that is scary . I was under the impression it does not affect the score.