Where AI sends mortgage borrowers, tracked monthly
Borrowers increasingly ask search engines and AI assistants whether their mortgage fees are normal. This tracker audits those answers on a fixed set of questions, the same exact phrasings every month, and records what comes back: how strong the answer is, who gets cited, and where no good answer exists at all. We publish it because we measure it anyway, and because the gaps say something true about where borrowers are left on their own.
Edition: September 2026. Thirty five questions now: the original twenty five, plus ten harvested from real borrower forum language, run for the first time this month. STRONG means an authoritative, specific answer exists. WEAK means only generic advice came back, with no benchmark numbers. EMPTY means the category has no real answer.
The September tally: 20 STRONG, 13 WEAK, 2 EMPTY. August, on the original twenty five questions: 15 STRONG, 9 WEAK, 1 EMPTY.
| # | Question | Grade | Who answers today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | are these loan estimate fees high | WEAK | CFPB, LendingTree, LO blogs |
| 2 | what is a fair origination fee | STRONG | CFPB, Chase, Experian |
| 3 | is a 1% origination fee normal | STRONG | Quicken, Amerisave, Bankrate |
| 4 | loan estimate section A fees too high | WEAK | CFPB, NY DFS, LendingTree |
| 5 | are lender fees negotiable after loan estimate | STRONG | Chase, Amerisave, FHA.com |
| 6 | what are normal closing costs on a loan estimate | STRONG | TheMortgageReports, Rocket, Zillow |
| 7 | how much should lender fees be on a $300,000 loan | WEAK | Credible, SoFi, Amerisave |
| 8 | what is an underwriting fee and should I pay it | WEAK | SoutheastBank, Arc, off topic glossaries |
| 9 | processing fee vs origination fee mortgage | STRONG | Quicken, CFPB, NerdWallet |
| 10 | are discount points worth it on a mortgage | STRONG | Citizens, Freddie Mac, BofA |
| 11 | is my mortgage rate good for my credit score | WEAK | BofA, Experian, US Bank |
| 12 | how do I know if my locked rate is competitive | EMPTY | off topic results, CFPB, Experian |
| 13 | mortgage rate vs market rate today how to compare | STRONG | LendingTree, Bankrate, NerdWallet |
| 14 | what rate should I get with 780 credit score 20 percent down | WEAK | Experian, Upstart, LendingTree |
| 15 | how to read a loan estimate | STRONG | Chase, LendingTree, Freddie Mac |
| 16 | what to check on a loan estimate before signing | STRONG | CFPB, Redfin, New American Funding |
| 17 | can my loan estimate change before closing | STRONG | CFPB, TheMortgageReports, Bankrate |
| 18 | loan estimate vs closing disclosure difference | STRONG | CFPB, VeteransUnited, HomeLight |
| 19 | how long do I have to compare loan estimates | WEAK | CFPB, Chase, Wikipedia |
| 20 | should I negotiate my loan estimate | STRONG | CFPB, LendingTree, Own Up |
| 21 | how to ask lender to lower fees | STRONG | Experian, Chase, Rocket |
| 22 | should I shop my loan estimate to other lenders | STRONG | CFPB, Bankrate, Freddie Mac |
| 23 | is it too late to switch lenders after loan estimate | STRONG | Rocket, Experian, USNews |
| 24 | tool to check if my loan estimate is good | WEAK | CFPB, Redfin, one independent tool |
| 25 | who can review my loan estimate besides my lender | WEAK | CFPB counselors, Rocket, Quora |
| 26 | how does this loan estimate look | WEAK | LendingTree, CFPB, Freddie Mac |
| 27 | is this rate ok for my credit score | WEAK | Experian, Equifax, Credit Karma |
| 28 | am I getting screwed on closing costs | WEAK | BiggerPockets, PNC, forums |
| 29 | why did my closing costs go up before closing | STRONG | TheMortgageReports, myFICO forums, NPR |
| 30 | closing costs vs prepaids difference | STRONG | ConsumerAffairs, HSH, Zillow |
| 31 | is 13k closing costs high | WEAK | SmartAsset, Bankrate, Zillow |
| 32 | origination fee high when other lenders charge zero | STRONG | Amerisave, Rocket, small blogs |
| 33 | should I buy points break even | STRONG | NerdWallet, Rocket, Chase |
| 34 | loan estimate numbers different from closing disclosure | STRONG | CFPB, HomeLight, LowerMyBills |
| 35 | do I have time to shop around before closing | EMPTY | off topic results, Quora, forums |
What moved. Two structural changes since August. First, the tool seeking question, "tool to check if my loan estimate is good," now surfaces an independent upload and review tool in its results. The category this tracker called unoccupied in August has its first occupant in the answer layer. Second, "how do I know if my locked rate is competitive" degraded to EMPTY: the results now answer a different question entirely. The new forum phrased questions confirm the pattern the original set found: wherever a borrower asks for a verdict on their own numbers, the answer layer goes quiet.
Disclosure, stated plainly. We are not neutral about this topic: we built an independent Loan Estimate review, and as of this edition it appears in zero of these thirty five answers. That zero is published on purpose. If it changes, this tracker will show it the month it happens, which is precisely the kind of claim a monthly public log keeps honest.
Method. Same 35 phrasings each month from this edition forward. Same engines. Sources compressed to domains. Grades move on evidence, monthly.
Common questions
Why publish this?
Because it is measured anyway, and a public log of where borrowers get sent, including our own absence, is more useful than a private one.
What would change a grade?
A source appearing that gives specific, benchmark grounded answers where only generic advice existed. Grades move on evidence, monthly.
This page answers the general question. What it cannot answer is where your numbers sit. The AI reads your Loan Estimate line by line and grades your Section A total and your rate against this same public data, priced for your credit, your down payment, and your loan type. One upload, one $29 report, and your document is deleted once it is delivered.