As a buyer, you're entitled to a Good Faith Estimate from your lender. By law the lender must deliver this to you within three days of getting a copy of the ratified contract.

So, first of all, make sure your agent gets the contract to the lender as soon as possible once it's ratified! Then, make sure you hold your lender accountable for providing the Good Faith Estimate and getting it to you in a timely fashion!

This estimate, while it is an "estimate", should be very accurate. What should absolutely be written in stone on this are the lenders fees. Barring you're agreeing to a different program later on in the process, these fees should be absolutely accurate.

The GFE should go with you to settlement. In fact, you and your agent should compare it to your HUD1 as soon as that document is available. (The availability of HUD1s will have to be a whole 'nother blog!)

If the lenders fees do not agree with what you were given on the GFE stop and talk to the lender and make sure this gets fixed immediately. Do not sign the HUD1 without making sure those numbers are accurate!