1 check from a mortgage co. = yes, 2-3 points
10 checks from various mortgage co's = exactly the same as 1...
because everyone knows that you are not going to go out and buy 10 houses at the same time... so they lump any inquiries (IQ's) of the same type within 30-45 days as "1"
however, credit card co.'s are a whole 'nother story... it is entirely possible to get 10 credit cards and get yourself into trouble. so multiple credit card IQ's will drop a score.
Remember... IQ's are only a tiny part of your overall credit score... worst drop i've personally seen due to excessive IQ's was 5 points
also, credit checks for things like cell phone contracts or electric / cable companies will not matter either, compared to credit cards or retail cards like jc penny, best buy, home depot...
In my short time in the lending industry, the biggest problem I often saw was capacity... people who simply could not afford the additional monthly payment on the new car loan, or boat loan... and would get all pissed off when we did not allow them to live beyond their means like the CC companies would. or the people who would want a $40k loan on a Chrysler 300C and had never made a single payment of any type on time.