Am I asking too much from lenders?

My wife and I are in the process of buying our first home. I am using a builder and lender from the same company due to the incentives that are included. The salesman from the builders is extremely helpful and harped on how the company strived for high reviews. We are doing something called a "quick close" which means we have little time. It seems as the lender always waits for me to call to tell me updates and if they need anymore doentation. I would think that they would call me as soon as anything came up to keep me up to date and help expedite the process since we are short on time. Is this normal? Is it normal not to know if one has the loan until just before closing?