Safe Rate Rankings

Best VA Mortgage Lenders in Arkansas

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.
Total Lenders180
Total Loans31,386
Median Rate Spread0.34%
Arkansas Market Insights
  • Lendlo Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked VA lender in Arkansas, leading on pricing, pullthrough, VA product expertise, and local knowledge.
  • Lendlo Mortgage and Nbkc Bank leads on both VA pricing and pullthrough, with competitive rates and a strong track record of closing.
  • United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #2 in Arkansas, 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 Arkansas: Rocket Mortgage (#10) and Arvest Bank (#6).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Arkansas

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RankLenderOverallPricingProductPull ThroughPlaceAvg FeesRate Spread# of LoansAction
1
LENDLO MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Exceptional
Exceptional*
Exceptional
Exceptional
Exceptional
$3,294Fees
0.382%Above
892
2
UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Exceptional
Strong*
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$2,407Fees
0.024%Below
804
3
Eagle Bank and Trust Company
BankDirect
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
$2,209Fees
0.191%Above
783
4
NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Credit UnionDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
Sound
Strong
$633Fees
0.513%Below
284
5
NBKC BANK
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$667Fees
0.196%Below
91
6
Arvest Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$1,711Fees
0.302%Above
2,687
7
First Horizon Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
Strong
$1,747Fees
0.135%Above
434
8
GUARANTEED RATE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,307Fees
0.368%Above
193
9
Firstar Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
$1,451Fees
0.034%Above
334
10
ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Exceptional
Exceptional
$3,673Fees
0.435%Above
2,648
11
FLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Exceptional
Exceptional
$2,020Fees
0.272%Above
1,087
12
ARKANSAS Federal Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
$2,417Fees
0.047%Below
477
13
GERSHMAN INVESTMENT CORP.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$1,481Fees
0.008%Above
263
14
Priority Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$2,112Fees
0.015%Above
260
15
MORTGAGE INVESTORS GROUP, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$2,125Fees
0.323%Above
186
16
ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$3,016Fees
0.527%Above
175
17
FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$3,457Fees
0.696%Above
611
18
First Security Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
$1,802Fees
0.166%Below
493
19
BANK OF LITTLE ROCK MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$1,030Fees
0.192%Above
340
20
ASSOCIATED MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$1,296Fees
0.171%Above
306
21
SWBC MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$3,871Fees
0.260%Above
304
22
FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,844Fees
0.266%Above
271
23
U.S. Bank National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$1,068Fees
0.140%Above
253
24
CMG MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Exceptional
Sound
$991Fees
0.060%Above
102
25
PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,160Fees
0.026%Below
291
26
Chambers Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
$2,294Fees
0.007%Below
196
27
PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$4,086Fees
0.267%Above
137
28
Centennial Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$1,726Fees
0.245%Above
882
29
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Sound
Strong
$1,809Fees
0.147%Above
238
30
USAA Federal Savings Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Sound
Strong
$1,433Fees
0.157%Below
206
31
LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,836Fees
0.413%Above
204
32
MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Exceptional
Sound
$3,191Fees
0.577%Above
109
33
Mortgage Research Center, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$2,022Fees
0.430%Above
936
34
ENCORE BANK
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
$1,069Fees
0.231%Above
408
35
Gateway First Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,581Fees
0.211%Above
237
36
FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Exceptional
Strong
$2,493Fees
0.399%Above
223
37
GMFS LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,057Fees
0.238%Above
92
38
First Community Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$2,907Fees
0.262%Above
684
39
KIND LENDING, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Sound
$1,139Fees
0.423%Above
66
40
HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, LTD.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,089Fees
0.535%Above
631
41
Regions Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Sound
Strong
$1,831Fees
0.367%Above
529
42
Bank of England
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
Strong
$1,949Fees
0.307%Above
371
43
Cadence Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
Strong
$1,639Fees
0.346%Above
311
44
COMMUNITY MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
$2,561Fees
0.178%Above
257
45
Flagstar Bank, N.A.
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Sound
$1,737Fees
0.149%Above
70
46
DAS Acquisition Company, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,529Fees
0.652%Above
261
47
NEWREZ LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$1,930Fees
0.455%Above
157
48
MY MOVE MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
Strong
$2,333Fees
0.076%Above
154
49
GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,358Fees
0.423%Above
293
50
CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,247Fees
0.568%Above
181

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Arkansas?+

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 Arkansas), 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 Arkansas?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 180 lenders originated a combined 31,386 loans in Arkansas. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Arkansas?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Arkansas is 0.34%. 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 Arkansas'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)

10
Pricing
Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)
10
Pull Through
Reliability in closing loans (25%)
10
Product
Specialization in the loan type (25%)
10
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.