Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Lenders in Augusta

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 Lenders86

Total Loans7,461

Median Rate Spread0.21%

Augusta Market Insights

Navy Federal Credit Union is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional lender in Augusta, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Augusta, Navy Federal Credit Union and Bank of America National Association scores highest on Conventional pricing while Rocket Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #3 in Augusta, 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.
Rocket Mortgage ranks #2 in Augusta, the nation's largest lender by volume.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Augusta

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By Institution Type

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Exceptional	$1,196Fees	0.505%Below	207
2	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,904Fees	0.311%Above	711
3	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,918Fees	0.136%Below	338
4	SouthState Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,557Fees	0.066%Above	360
5	First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,493Fees	0.037%Above	187
6	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,069Fees	0.258%Above	587
7	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,549Fees	0.032%Above	341
8	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,058Fees	0.094%Above	198
9	SRP Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,925Fees	0.183%Below	227
10	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,216Fees	0.110%Below	45
11	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,296Fees	0.167%Above	23
12	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,447Fees	0.029%Above	86
13	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,673Fees	0.050%Above	45
14	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,483Fees	0.276%Above	58
15	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,635Fees	0.291%Above	116
16	COLONY BANK BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,008Fees	0.201%Above	109
17	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,962Fees	0.283%Above	55
18	Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$3,648Fees	0.010%Below	266
19	Security Federal Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$2,732Fees	0.291%Below	153
20	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,928Fees	0.246%Above	117
21	VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,618Fees	0.503%Above	77
22	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,842Fees	0.668%Above	68
23	First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,383Fees	0.151%Above	60
24	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,805Fees	0.356%Above	60
25	NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Exceptional	$3,623Fees	0.453%Above	171
26	TOWNE MORTGAGE COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,104Fees	0.123%Above	50
27	AUGUSTA MORTGAGE CO. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$3,264Fees	0.063%Below	167
28	CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,961Fees	0.361%Above	90
29	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,239Fees	0.255%Below	71
30	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,556Fees	0.151%Above	37
31	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,783Fees	0.107%Above	31
32	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	$244Credit	0.735%Above	407
33	Synovus Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$2,546Fees	0.063%Above	47
34	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	$4,349Fees	0.597%Above	39
35	Pinnacle Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,652Fees	0.118%Below	17
36	BANKSOUTH MORTGAGE COMPANY, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	Strong	$3,899Fees	0.112%Above	101
37	Assurance Financial Group, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Strong	$2,379Fees	0.307%Above	67
38	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,551Fees	0.152%Above	131
39	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,395Fees	0.542%Above	32
40	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Strong	Strong	Sound	—	—	17
41	FBC MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,514Fees	0.612%Below	53
42	PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	Sound	$3,723Fees	0.391%Above	31
43	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$2,561Fees	0.391%Above	26
44	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,961Fees	0.305%Above	24
45	CAROLINA ONE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	Strong	$3,237Fees	0.193%Above	66
46	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,481Fees	0.249%Above	42
47	CANOPY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$5,227Fees	0.179%Above	40
48	SUMMIT FUNDING, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,450Fees	0.663%Above	26
49	GoodLeap, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	Sound	$3,475Fees	0.576%Below	23
50	AMERICAN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$103Fees	0.266%Above	19

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Augusta?+

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 Augusta), 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 Augusta?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 86 lenders originated a combined 7,461 loans in Augusta. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Augusta is 0.21%. 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 Augusta'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.