How to Get the Best Rate Possible for a Refinance (or any loan)

[Matt J.]

I'm looking to refinance a property and am contacting as many lenders as I can to get the best rate I can. Through this process, you need to get an appraisal done, send over tons of paperwork and jump through hoops up front, just to see what they can offer at the end of this process. 

How have you all gone through this process? I don't want to have multiple appraisals done on the same property, submit all the paperwork up front, just to get a quote on what I might end up paying. 

Any thoughts?