GrandRates, led by Duane Buziak, is worth considering as a Lower.com alternative because it compares rates across hundreds of wholesale lenders without a hard credit pull, while Lower.com operates as a single direct lender showing you only its own pricing. That structural difference matters more than most borrowers realize, and it shows up directly in the numbers on a real loan. Below is a worked example, a side-by-side breakdown, and the specific things to verify before you commit to either path.
A $400,000 Refinance Example: GrandRates vs. a Single-Lender Quote
Suppose you’re refinancing a $400,000 mortgage balance. A direct lender like Lower.com gives you one quote based on its own rate sheet for that day. If that quote comes in at 6.75%, your principal-and-interest payment on a 30-year fixed loan is roughly $2,594 a month. Now suppose that, by comparing that same loan across a spread of wholesale lenders through Duane Buziak’s process at GrandRates, you find a comparable offer at 6.4%, a 0.35 percentage point gap that isn’t unusual between a single lender’s pricing and the range available across a wider lender pool.
At 6.4%, the payment on the same $400,000 balance drops to about $2,502 a month, a difference of roughly $92 per month. Over five years, that’s approximately $5,520 in payments alone, and because more of each payment applies to principal at the lower rate, the actual interest-cost gap over that same five-year window runs higher, typically in the $6,000 to $7,000 range depending on amortization specifics. You can verify this yourself with any standard mortgage amortization calculator: plug in $400,000 at 6.75% and again at 6.4% on a 30-year term, and compare the interest paid through month 60.
The point isn’t that a 0.25 to 0.375 percentage point spread will always exist between a single-lender quote and a multi-lender comparison. Rates move daily, and Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows how much variation exists in the market even week to week (Freddie Mac PMMS, accessed September 2026). The point is that you can’t know where a single quote sits relative to the broader market unless you check. A soft-pull comparison lets you see that spread before your credit is touched and before you’ve committed to any one lender’s rate sheet. If the numbers land close together, you’ve lost nothing by checking. If they don’t, the gap on a loan this size is real money.
How Duane Buziak’s Rate Comparison Process Differs From a Direct Lender Model
Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, operates GrandRates as an independent comparison and consulting service, not as a lender originating loans under its own name. The process sources pricing from hundreds of wholesale lenders and lays out the resulting range so a borrower can see where their loan scenario falls before choosing a direction. Lower.com, by contrast, is a single direct-to-consumer lender: every quote it produces reflects its own pricing, underwriting appetite, and product menu, and nothing else.
This is a structural distinction, not a value judgment. A direct lender model can be efficient for a borrower who already knows they want that lender’s specific product. A comparison model is built for a different moment in the process: the point where you’re still deciding which lender or which rate structure fits your loan before you’ve applied anywhere.
The credit-pull difference follows from that structure. Seeing comparative rate ranges through GrandRates does not require a hard credit inquiry. A direct lender, once you move toward locking a specific rate, typically requires a formal application, which usually involves a hard credit pull as part of underwriting. That’s a normal part of any real lending process, but it means the moment you apply directly is also the moment your credit report reflects an inquiry. Comparing first, without that inquiry, preserves your credit profile while you’re still gathering information.
Because Duane Buziak’s role is that of an independent consultant rather than a loan officer tied to one lender’s product menu, the comparisons aren’t built around steering a borrower toward a single company’s pricing. The wholesale lender network means the rate options presented reflect what multiple lenders are willing to offer on a given loan scenario, not what one lender’s current pricing happens to be on a given day. For a borrower trying to figure out whether a quote they’ve already received elsewhere is competitive, that structural independence is the practical value: it gives you a reference point that isn’t generated by the same institution asking for your business.
GrandRates vs. Lower.com: A Side-by-Side Comparison
The table below lays out the factual, structural differences between the two models. Neither is characterized as superior; the differences simply reflect how each business is built.
| Factor | GrandRates (Duane Buziak) | Lower.com |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Independent comparison service sourcing from hundreds of wholesale lenders | Single direct-to-consumer mortgage lender |
| Credit pull for initial comparison | No hard credit inquiry required | Formal application, typically involving a hard credit pull, required to receive a locked quote |
| Cost to use | No cost to compare rates | No cost to receive a quote, but you are evaluating one lender’s pricing only |
| Licensing footprint | Licensed in VA, FL, TN, GA, DC, NC, SC (broker-only), and MD | Licensed on a broader multi-state basis as a direct lender; check current state licensing before applying |
| Consultation style | One-on-one, independent consultation not tied to a single lender’s product menu | Lender-employed loan officers presenting that company’s own loan products |
The practical takeaway from this table is about sequencing, not superiority. A comparison service is structured to answer “where does this rate sit relative to the market,” while a direct lender is structured to answer “what can this specific company offer me.” Many borrowers find it useful to start with the first question before moving into the second.
What to Verify Before You Choose Either Option
Licensing is the first thing to confirm, because a service that isn’t licensed in your state can’t actually close your loan there. Duane Buziak and Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #376205) are licensed in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland, with South Carolina operating on a broker-only basis. If you’re outside that footprint, confirm any lender’s current state licensing directly through the NMLS Consumer Access database before moving forward with an application.
Second, check where your loan amount falls relative to current conforming loan limits, since that affects pricing and program eligibility. The Federal Housing Finance Agency sets the baseline conforming loan limit each year, and Fannie Mae publishes the resulting figures for one-unit properties nationwide, with higher limits in designated high-cost areas (FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values, 2026). If your loan is close to or above that threshold, the rate spread between a conforming loan and a jumbo loan can be larger than the everyday variation between individual lenders, so knowing which category you fall into changes what “competitive” even means for your scenario.
Credit score thresholds also matter, since minimum score requirements vary by loan program and can shift the rate you’re quoted by a full percentage point or more between tiers. Fannie Mae’s Loan-Level Price Adjustment matrix outlines how credit score bands affect pricing on conventional loans (Fannie Mae LLPA Matrix), and it’s worth checking your own score against those bands before assuming a quoted rate reflects the best pricing available for your profile.
Comparison shopping matters most in higher-cost markets, where even a modest rate gap translates into a large dollar swing. In Fairfax County, Virginia, the median home sale price has run well above $700,000 as of 2026 market data reported by Virginia Realtors, meaning loan sizes there often sit close to or above conforming limits (Virginia Realtors housing statistics). On a loan that size, the type of rate spread illustrated earlier in this article compounds into a meaningfully larger five-year cost difference, which is exactly the scenario where checking multiple lenders before applying anywhere pays off.
Frequently Asked Questions About GrandRates and Lower.com
Is GrandRates free to use? Yes. There is no cost to compare rates through Duane Buziak’s service, and no obligation to move forward with any specific lender after seeing the comparison.
Does GrandRates check my credit? No. The initial rate comparison does not require a hard credit inquiry, so you can see a rate range without any impact to your credit score.
Is GrandRates a lender or a broker? It’s an independent comparison and consulting service. Duane Buziak works through Coast2Coast Mortgage, LLC (NMLS #376205), which operates with both broker and in-house lending capability in most licensed states, but the GrandRates comparison itself isn’t tied to a single lender’s product menu.
How does Lower.com’s process work structurally? Lower.com functions as a single direct-to-consumer lender. You submit information, receive a quote based on that company’s own current pricing, and move through underwriting with that lender specifically if you proceed.
How long does a GrandRates comparison take? Most borrowers can complete the initial information needed for a comparison in a matter of minutes, with a personalized rate range typically following shortly after.
Do both options serve investment property loans? Investment property financing is available through the wholesale lender network Duane Buziak works with, though program terms, down payment requirements, and pricing differ from owner-occupied loans. Confirm investment property eligibility directly when you request your comparison.
When does a rate actually get locked? A rate lock happens after you choose a specific lender and loan program and move into the formal application process, not during the initial comparison stage.
Can I compare rates through GrandRates if I already have a quote from Lower.com? Yes. Many borrowers use an existing quote as a reference point and request a comparison to see how it stacks up against pricing from other wholesale lenders before deciding.
Does my credit score affect which rates I’m shown? Yes. Credit score, loan amount, property type, and other factors all affect pricing under standard loan-level pricing adjustments used industry-wide, so the comparison reflects your actual profile rather than a generic advertised rate.
How do I get started with Duane Buziak? You can request a personalized rate comparison directly through GrandRates by providing basic loan and property details, after which Duane Buziak reviews your scenario against current wholesale lender pricing.
Comparing Before You Commit
GrandRates gives you a no-cost, no-credit-hit way to see how a single lender’s quote, whether from Lower.com or anywhere else, actually stacks up against a broader spread of wholesale pricing before you commit to an application. On a loan the size of the example above, that comparison step can be worth thousands of dollars over even a few years, and it costs you nothing but a few minutes to check.
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