"Whatever you do, don't go through a broker. They will just slow the whole thing down for you"
Seems to me like a wild statement to make. You have obvisiouly had a bad encounter with one broker. It is not fair to generalise here. There are professional brokers and unprofessional brokers out there, no doubt just as there are professional & unprofessional solicitors, mechanics, auctioneers, etc.
I have dealt with many satisfied customers in the past who had been previously declined wehn they applied directly to a bank.
To refer to the original poster, your rate typically should be comfortable for you to pay and also relevant to your ideal repayment method i.e. do not choose a fixed rate option if you are looking to overpay your mortgage account on a regular basis to reduce the total level of interest you will repay.
Consider service an important aspect of your mortgage...there is nothing more frustrating than a "last minute panic" with a loan cheque because somebody ahsnt done their job properly.
Also, I'd consider how flexible each bank are with their lending criteria looking into the future.
E.g there is little or no point taking the maximum mortgage with Lender A (say 250k) when Lender B will approve you for (say 300k). This may not mean a lot now, but you may be looking at a top up facility or further property investment in say 2/3 years time, in which case, Lender B, although their rates slightly less attractive, would be the better option.
Didn't mean to rant
I hope this makes sense. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Sean