Dare to Compare is Duane Buziak’s open invitation to put any mortgage quote you already hold next to offers gathered through Free Mortgage Search by Duane Buziak. The comparison starts with a soft-pull NoTouch Credit Pull, so you can see competing offers without a hard inquiry on your credit report. It is a transparent test of your current quote, not a promise that you will find a lower rate.
This article walks through the mechanics step by step, what is and is not compared, a worked dollar example with the math shown, and how a broker’s access to hundreds of wholesale lenders differs from a single-company shelf. It ends with answers to eight common questions.
How the Dare to Compare Pricing Challenge on FreeMortgageSearch Works, Step by Step
The process has four steps, and none of them commits you to anything.
- Gather your existing quote. Pull out your Loan Estimate if you have one. If you are earlier in the process, a written rate quote with the loan amount, term, and fees will do.
- Run the free search with a NoTouch Credit Pull. This is a soft-pull mortgage comparison. It lets Duane Buziak review your profile against many wholesale lenders with no hard inquiry.
- Review the offers side by side. Line up rate, APR, points, fees, and lock period against your current quote, using the checklist later in this article.
- Decide, with no obligation. Stay with your current quote, take a different one, or keep shopping.
Terms in plain language
- Soft pull: a credit check that does not count as a formal credit application and does not appear to lenders as a new inquiry. A hard pull does, and it is typically required at formal application.
- Loan Estimate: the standardized three-page form a mortgage company gives you after you apply, showing rate, payment, and costs.
- Rate lock: an agreement that holds your quoted rate for a set number of days while your loan is processed.
- APR: the annual percentage rate, which folds certain fees and points into a yearly cost so offers can be compared more fairly than by rate alone.
- Wholesale lender: a mortgage lender that funds loans through brokers rather than selling directly to the public.
- Broker: a licensed intermediary who is not tied to one company’s products and can place your loan with any of the wholesale lenders it works with.
What the dare is, and is not
The dare is an invitation to check your quote, nothing more. It is not a guarantee of a lower rate. Results depend on your credit, down payment, property, loan type, and market conditions on the day. Sometimes the comparison confirms that the quote you hold is competitive, and that is a useful answer too.
Why Duane Buziak Can Compare Across Hundreds of Wholesale Lenders
A broker is paid to find a fit for the borrower, not to fill one company’s pipeline. Duane Buziak, who has been helping buyers find the right mortgage since 2014, can take one borrower profile and check it against the programs and pricing sheets of hundreds of wholesale lenders. A single bank or direct company, by contrast, works from one shelf.
A neutral structural contrast
National direct companies such as Rocket Mortgage, Movement Mortgage, Guild Mortgage, and NFM Lending quote from their own programs, underwrite in-house, and service a large number of loans. That model has real strengths: a single point of contact, familiar branding, and in some cases proprietary products or digital tools. For some borrowers, one of those companies will be the right fit, and the challenge will simply confirm it.
The difference is structural, not a matter of quality. A direct company can only offer what is on its own shelf. A broker’s quote can come from whichever wholesale lender prices your scenario most competitively that day, whether that suits a high-balance loan, a lower down payment, or a self-employed income file.
Why that matters for a pricing challenge
Mortgage pricing varies from one lender to the next, and each lender prices different borrower profiles differently. Searching more pricing sheets gives more chances of finding a meaningful difference in rate, fees, or both. It does not guarantee one. If your quote is already sharp, the search will show that.
This is also why the comparison is free to run. The tool exists to put your numbers next to a broader field, and you decide what to do with the result.
Comparing Quotes Without Hurting Your Credit: The NoTouch Credit Pull
A NoTouch Credit Pull is a soft-pull comparison. It gives a broker enough credit information to estimate what you would likely be offered, without registering a hard inquiry. Your score is not affected by the comparison itself.
What it does not do
A soft pull does not lock a rate, approve a loan, or replace underwriting. A hard inquiry is typically needed later, when you submit a formal application and a lender must verify your credit to issue a Loan Estimate and move toward approval. That is normal, and it is better to know it up front.
How the credit system treats mortgage shopping
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau encourages shopping around, and explains that credit scoring models generally treat multiple mortgage inquiries made within a short window as a single inquiry. The length of that window varies by scoring model, commonly from about two weeks to 45 days, so keep your formal applications close together in time. The soft pull is a way to narrow the field before any hard inquiry happens at all.
Pre-qualification versus pre-approval
A common mistake is treating the two as the same thing. A pre-qualification is a rough estimate based on information you provide. A formal pre-approval involves document review and a hard credit pull. A mortgage pre-approval without hard pull is a sound first comparison step, because it shows you realistic pricing before you commit. But it is a starting point, and a full file review still follows before any lender commits to a loan.
That order, soft pull first and formal application once you have chosen, is the core of the Dare to Compare approach. You gather information without a hard inquiry, then spend one on the offer you actually want.
A Worked Example: Comparing Two Quotes Line by Line
The figures below are illustrations. They are not current offers, and rates change daily. Suppose you hold two quotes on a $400,000 loan, 30-year fixed, with the same lock period and loan type.
- Quote A: 6.500%
- Quote B: 6.250%
Principal-and-interest uses the standard amortization formula: payment = L × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)−n), where r is the monthly rate and n is 360. For Quote A, r = 0.065 ÷ 12, and the payment is about $2,528.27 a month. For Quote B, r = 0.0625 ÷ 12, and the payment is about $2,462.87. The difference is $65.40 a month, or about $23,544 across 360 payments if you kept the loan the full term.
The trap: a lower rate can cost more
Now add the costs. Suppose Quote B carries $4,500 more in discount points and lender fees than Quote A. Divide the extra upfront cost by the monthly savings: $4,500 ÷ $65.40 = 68.8, so the break-even is month 69, about five years and nine months. If you sell or refinance before then, Quote B costs you more in total despite the lower rate. If you keep the loan well past it, Quote B wins.
This is why rate alone is the wrong test. Your expected time in the home matters as much as the number on the quote.
Keep the comparison like for like
Check that both quotes share the same loan type, term, lock period, and points on the Loan Estimate. A quote with a 15-day lock is not equal to one with a 45-day lock.
APR disclosure: the rates above are illustrative only, are not offers of credit, and exclude taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance. The APR on a real quote will be higher than the note rate because it includes certain fees and points. Rates change daily, so any rate you see is accurate only as of the day it is quoted.
What to Put Side by Side: The Dare to Compare Checklist and Table
A fair comparison needs the same lines from each quote. The table below shows what to compare and why each line matters, alongside what a broker and a single-shelf direct company can each offer on the dimensions that tend to differ.
| Line to compare | Your current quote | Offer via Free Mortgage Search | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | Fill in from your quote | Fill in from your offer | Drives the monthly payment, but not total cost on its own. |
| APR | Fill in | Fill in | Folds in fees and points, so it makes offers more comparable. |
| Points or credits | Fill in | Fill in | Points buy a lower rate; credits do the reverse. Run the break-even. |
| Lender fees | Fill in | Fill in | Origination and underwriting charges vary between companies. |
| Third-party and title costs | Fill in | Fill in | Appraisal, title, and settlement costs may be shoppable. |
| Lock period and cost | Fill in | Fill in | A longer lock protects you longer and may cost more. |
| Monthly payment | Fill in | Fill in | Compare principal, interest, taxes, and insurance on the same basis. |
| Cash to close | Fill in | Fill in | The real amount you bring to the table. |
| No-out-of-pocket closing options | Ask | Ask, if applicable | Some structures reduce upfront cash, usually through a higher rate or seller credits. |
| Dimension | Broker (Duane Buziak) | Single-company shelf |
|---|---|---|
| Product access | Programs from hundreds of wholesale lenders | That company’s own programs |
| Pricing sources | Many pricing sheets, checked against one profile | One pricing sheet |
| Credit check for comparison | Soft-pull NoTouch Credit Pull | Varies by company |
| Fit for unusual files | Can place a file where guidelines suit it | Limited to in-house guidelines |
Reading the Loan Estimate
The CFPB’s Loan Estimate explainer walks through the form. Section A shows origination charges, including points. Section B covers services you cannot shop for, and Section C covers services you can. Compare A through C across quotes before you look at anything else.
Rate lock questions
A lock holds your rate for a set number of days, typically through closing. Longer locks give more cushion against delays but may be priced higher. Ask what an extension costs if closing slips, since that cost can surprise you late in the process.
Who the Challenge Fits: First-Time Buyers, Rate-Shoppers, and Refinancers
The buyer who did not know a broker was an option
Many first-time buyers go straight to the bank where they hold their checking account, or to the first company that advertises to them. They often do not know that working with a broker is an option at all. If that is you, start with the free search before committing to anyone. Run the soft pull, see what comes back, and then decide whether a single company or a broker’s wider field makes sense for you.
The active rate-shopper
If you already hold a quote from a national direct company, bring it in. The checklist above gives you a way to compare it line by line against a broker-sourced offer. The same applies to a homeowner weighing a refinance. Add your remaining balance and current rate to the picture, and compare the new loan’s closing costs against the monthly savings, using the same break-even method as the worked example.
Loan limits and program context
Loan size affects which programs apply. The Federal Housing Finance Agency sets the 2026 conforming loan limit at $832,750 for one-unit properties in most of the country, rising to $1,249,125 in the highest-cost areas. Limits vary by county, so check the figure for the property’s location. A loan above the limit is a jumbo loan, which is priced and underwritten differently, and that is another area where comparing across wholesale lenders can matter.
Duane Buziak is licensed in VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC, and MD. Which programs are available depends on the property, your finances, and the state, so they are confirmed during the review rather than assumed up front.
Dare to Compare FAQ: Eight Common Questions
Does the Dare to Compare challenge cost anything?
No. Comparing through Free Mortgage Search by Duane Buziak is free. You are not charged to run the search or review offers. Costs arise only if you later choose a loan and proceed to a formal application, at which point fees are disclosed on your Loan Estimate.
Will it hurt my credit?
The comparison uses a soft-pull NoTouch Credit Pull, which is not a hard inquiry and does not affect your score. A hard inquiry typically happens later, when you submit a formal application for the loan you choose.
Am I obligated to proceed?
No. Reviewing offers carries no obligation. You can stay with your current quote, choose a different one, or walk away. The comparison is information, not a commitment, and nothing moves forward without your decision.
Can I bring a quote from another company?
Yes, and that is the point of the challenge. Bring a Loan Estimate or written quote from any company, including a national direct company, and compare the rate, APR, points, fees, and lock period against what Duane Buziak can source.
Is the rate I see guaranteed?
No. Rates shown during a comparison are estimates. They become firm only after underwriting verifies your file and you lock the rate. Rates also change daily, so any figure is accurate only as of the day it was quoted.
How is a broker different from a bank?
A bank or direct company offers its own loan programs from one shelf. A broker is not tied to one company and can shop your profile across hundreds of wholesale lenders. Each model suits different borrowers, and neither guarantees a lower price.
Which states does Duane Buziak serve?
Duane Buziak is licensed in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland. Free Mortgage Search by Duane Buziak serves buyers and homeowners in those states, and program availability is confirmed by property and borrower profile.
What happens after I choose an offer?
You complete a formal application, which includes a hard credit inquiry and document review. You then receive a Loan Estimate, decide on your rate lock, and move through underwriting toward closing. Final terms depend on that verified file, not the initial comparison.
Testing Your Quote Is Free, and the Result Is Yours to Use
The challenge works because it asks nothing of you except a quote and a few minutes. If your current offer holds up, you will know it. If it does not, you will see exactly where the difference lies: in the rate, the points, the fees, or the lock terms. Either result puts you in a better position than not having checked, and the NoTouch Credit Pull means the checking itself does not cost you credit.
Your dream home is within reach. Start comparing personalized mortgage rates from trusted lenders today and discover the loan solution that fits your budget and goals. Compare rates now and take the first step toward securing your home with expert guidance every step of the way.
