A home is usually the most expensive purchase people ever make. And as we’ve all learned recently, mortgage loans can be complex and a poorly chosen mortgage can cause many problems down the road. And yet, Americans spend very little time researching a mortgage.

The average homebuyer spends only five hours choosing a home loan and gets only three quotes, according to a recent online survey of nearly 3,000 purchasers by Zillow.com. More than 30% of purchasers spend two hours or less.

By contrast, Americans typically spend 10 hours researching a car purchase, five hours planning a vacation, four hours deciding what computer to buy and two hours shopping for a television.

Zillow points out that a half-point difference in a mortgage rate for a $300,000 home with 20% down means a savings of $26,000 over the life of the loan. For that kind of money, it’s worth putting a little extra effort into making sure you’re getting the best deal!