Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Lenders in Appleton

Updated June 4, 2026

Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. Safe Rate recommends speaking with 2-3 lenders to find the right fit for your home loan!

⚖️ The 4 PsRankings are calculated based on observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place.

🛡️ No Pay to PlayLenders cannot buy their way to the top. Rankings are 100% earned.

📊 HMDA 2024Built using publicly available originated loan data from the federal government.

🎯 Peer BenchmarkedPerformance is normalized and benchmarked against peer institutions.

Market

Total Lenders52

Total Loans2,899

Median Rate Spread0.23%

Appleton Market Insights

Community First is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional lender in Appleton, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
Community First and Associated Bank National Association leads on both Conventional pricing and pullthrough, with competitive rates and a strong track record of closing.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #8 in Appleton, serving as the platform behind many independent local brokers who live and work in the community. A local broker knows the neighborhoods, the local market, and is personally invested in your outcome. Real estate agents often prefer referring local brokers for their accessibility and responsiveness, qualities that matter when a deal is moving fast. Pricing and experience can vary by broker.
Popular names in Appleton: Rocket Mortgage (#9) and Community First (#1).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Appleton

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By Institution Type

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	Community First Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$611Fees	0.341%Below	471
2	FOX COMMUNITIES Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$510Fees	0.153%Below	199
3	Associated Bank, National Association BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$568Fees	0.114%Below	97
4	Johnson Bank BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$319Fees	0.003%Above	53
5	Bank First, N.A. BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	$152Fees	0.096%Below	26
6	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$645Fees	0.120%Above	64
7	Nicolet National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$936Fees	0.182%Above	134
8	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$1,936Fees	0.069%Above	108
9	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$4,303Fees	0.326%Above	130
10	CAPITAL Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$634Fees	0.153%Below	173
11	Old National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,180Fees	0.165%Below	21
12	Summit Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$238Credit	0.170%Below	18
13	University of Wisconsin Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$590Fees	0.009%Below	18
14	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$1,585Fees	0.118%Above	111
15	COVANTAGE CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,470Fees	0.555%Below	74
16	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$0Fees	0.319%Below	15
17	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,817Fees	0.192%Above	39
18	Nations Lending Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$1,708Fees	0.369%Above	84
19	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,896Fees	0.429%Above	113
20	Bank Five Nine BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$706Fees	0.258%Above	25
21	National Exchange Bank and Trust BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	$303Fees	0.141%Above	14
22	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,228Fees	0.467%Above	78
23	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,370Fees	0.270%Above	57
24	Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$657Fees	0.433%Above	42
25	FIRST COLONY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,436Fees	0.219%Above	34
26	Home State Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,816Fees	0.268%Above	74
27	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,716Fees	0.234%Above	16
28	VERVE, A CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Sound	$562Fees	0.386%Below	14
29	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,209Fees	0.362%Above	20
30	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,470Fees	0.604%Above	29
31	Waterstone Mortgage Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,887Fees	0.391%Above	67
32	UNISON CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$552Fees	0.164%Above	29
33	NexBank BankWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,148Fees	0.149%Above	25
34	TOWNE MORTGAGE COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,141Fees	0.605%Above	11
35	V.I.P. MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Acceptable	$627Fees	0.023%Above	10
36	PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$4,436Fees	0.569%Above	46
37	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,712Fees	0.246%Above	20
38	Ixonia Bank BankDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,641Fees	0.456%Above	30
39	PROSPERA Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,290Fees	0.026%Above	22
40	BMO Bank National Association BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Strong	Sound	Acceptable	$542Fees	0.482%Above	10
41	POINT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,431Fees	0.140%Above	19
42	PCM Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Sound	—	Sound	Strong	Sound	—	—	13
43	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,680Fees	0.662%Above	55
44	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	Sound	$2,670Fees	0.104%Above	29
45	Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,795Fees	0.309%Above	23
46	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$3,465Fees	0.107%Above	15
47	ENVOY MORTGAGE, LTD Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	Sound	$2,633Fees	0.171%Above	32
48	GO MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Sound	$3,711Fees	0.671%Above	13
49	MARINE CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Sound	Sound	$3,068Fees	1.713%Above	20
50	Wolfe Financial, Inc Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Sound	Sound	$4,207Fees	0.559%Above	22

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Appleton, WI?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 4 Ps framework, derived entirely from HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data: Pricing (how competitively a lender prices loans vs. the market benchmark), Pullthrough (how effectively a lender closes applications), Place (the lender's depth of expertise in Appleton, WI), and Product (performance on specific loan types). Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0–100. No lender pays to appear in the rankings.

What is the Safe Rate Score?+

The Safe Rate Score is a 0–100 composite index measuring a lender's performance across Pricing, Pullthrough, Place, and Product. Scores of 80 or above earn Champion status; scores of 60–79 earn Superstar status. All scores are calculated from verified HMDA data — no lender can pay to improve their position.

How many mortgage lenders are active in Appleton, WI?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 52 lenders originated a combined 2,899 loans in Appleton, WI. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Appleton, WI?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Appleton, WI is 0.23%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.

What is HMDA data and why does Safe Rate use it?+

HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) is a federal law requiring every mortgage lender to disclose every loan application annually — including rates, amounts, approvals, and denials. Safe Rate uses HMDA because it is government-verified, covers all lenders equally, and cannot be gamed. It is the most objective foundation available for lender rankings.

Does Safe Rate accept payment from lenders to appear in rankings?+

No. Safe Rate rankings are strictly data-driven. No lender can pay to appear in or improve their position in Safe Rate's rankings. The only factor that determines a lender's rank is their verified HMDA performance data.

What is the difference between a bank, credit union, and independent mortgage company?+

Banks and credit unions offer mortgages alongside checking, savings, and other products. Independent Mortgage Companies (IMCs) focus exclusively on originating loans and often offer more product variety and speed. In Appleton, WI's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.

Our Point System (Max 40 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (25%)

Product

Specialization in the loan type (25%)

Place

Local market expertise (25%)

Data Integrity & Updates

Data is updated quarterly based on the latest HMDA filings and proprietary SafeRate analysis. All metrics are calculated using standardized methodologies to ensure fair comparison across lenders.

⚖️ Licensing & Disclosures

Lender rankings and market statistics are created by Dylan Hall, licensed mortgage loan officer (NMLS #1658740). Safe Rate is a mortgage technology platform; mortgage lending services are provided by PartnerOwn LLC dba Safe Rate Mortgage, a licensed mortgage broker and lender (NMLS #1590949). Safe Rate Mortgage is a lending partner of some of the lenders ranked on this page, and Safe Rate Inc. has software or service customers on this list; however, all rankings are calculated using objective, public Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) datasets, completely independent of any corporate partnerships, client relationships, or compensation.