My suggestion is to find loans through local banks or a credit union. These usually have 1 rate instead of a spread depending on credit score, and you either qualify for the loan (at the listed rate) or you don't qualify for a loan period. As long as your credit is decent, you'll get the loan and the low rate (which is often much lower than the bait and switch "low low" bank rates you see on websites, once you take into account the closing costs).

I applied for > 30 credit cards in the past 6 months, lost about 60 points on my credit score.

2 weeks ago I applied for a mortgage on a 2nd home, got the loan no problem; 10 year fixed @ 2.85%. Works for me.