The information collected by the shopping sites is retained by the sites until you decide to apply to a lender selected by you, and then the information is sent only to that lender. In general, the shopping sites that ask for the most information from the consumer provide the best service. This information is used to adjust prices to the length of the lock period that the user may require. The site that does not adjust prices for lock period need not ask the question. But this site may be providing less accurate price information.
Some sites ask how long the user expects to be in the house.
Sites that do not provide this counsel need not ask the question. Some sites ask the user for the county in which the property is located. This allows the site to find the maximum FHA loan amount that applies to the specific transaction. It also allows the site to provide the best possible estimates of settlement costs. Sites that don't offer FHA loans, or that estimate settlement costs using national average data, need not ask the question.