If you need a mortgage to finance the purchase of your Del Mar residential property, you will need to do your homework for there are a wide selection of lenders and loan products being offered. The first thing you will have to do is shop around to find the best available deal. Most people choose to work with a mortgage broker.  A mortgage broker is an independent contractor who matches borrowers with lenders. The mortgage broker can do the legwork for you, examining the offerings from many lenders before presenting you with the best options. You can also find good deals by working either directly with a banker. Either way you choose, it is important that you choose a reputable company. Find one by asking friends, family members and colleagues in the area who recently went through the process to find out who they used and whether they received good service, competitive rates and low fees. Another resource available to home buyers is a real estate lawyer.  A real estate attorney is someone whose job is to look out for your best interests in real estate transactions and a good one will be able to steer you away from many of the pitfalls that can appear during the long and complicated process of buying a home and securing financing.  When looking for a mortgage broker one of the best things you can do is check with the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (www.namb.org) to see if the broker you are thinking of is a member.  This association offers a stringent code of ethics for its members and a certification program for mortgage brokers who meet certain requirements.