If so, you might shop at at a couple local / regional banks to see if they can do better.

Your safer bet is try one if it makes sense.

There are lots of brokers out there though, so you could shop around a little.

Is it better to use a mortgage broker to shop for different FHA lenders, or will it be pretty even across the board.

(DO Ask for receipts if it's for material deposits.)Share competing bid information and "bid shop".Encourage bidders to get into a bidding war.Try to low-ball contractors.....they will try to cut corners or make it up with change orders a lot of times.And finally, DON'T assume that "All Contractors are Crooks" or that "All Contractors Will Rip You Off".  

I found my current guy by wandering into a small locally owned paint shop and saying, "do you know anyone who can build a deck handrail?"

What was the hourly return $ per hour consider the entire year you did not nothing but home improvement and shopping?  

It just doesn't take twice as much work to list a $400,000 home as a $200,000 home, so shop around for competent professionals charging fees commensurate with the work.  

Just keep shopping around, try the commercial lending departments at small local banks in your area.  

Then you should call other mortgage companies to shop around.