How do you compare conventional loan options?

[Cassandra J.]

Soon I'll be obtaining my first mortgage. I'm going the FHA route.

I've done A LOT of shopping around. As I work to narrow in on my lender of choice, I've been surprised by how much the loan detail varies between them. Namely, origination charges, services you cannot shop for, services you can shop for, and lender credits.

I was told by one lender that the only things I should be comparing are interest rate, origination charges (to identify junk fees), and lender credits.

I'm interested in hearing how others have approached comparisons in the past. Are there any other elements I should pay particular attention to at this point in the process?