First off… Have you ever bought a home from a developer?

The first thing they do (after they stuff a bunch of incentives in front of your snout to use the preferred lender) is tell you, you MUST be preapproved by the preferred lender even if you do not use the preferred lender… So your ire should not be limited to Countrywide.

Finally, nobody is twisting your arm to buy the REO from Countrywide. If you search for a home, and after looking and looking you find the home at the price you want that satisfies other requirements, and you walk because you don’t want to get preapproved a second time then so be it.

Let me tell you when I have a listing and the guy representing the buyer is a mortgage broker, I do not hesitate to advise my client to DEMAND a second preapproval from another lender for that buyer.

While there is no doubt that yes Countrywide wants the loan, regardless of the motivation, what they are doing is not out of the ordinary by any means.