Safe Rate Rankings

Best VA Mortgage Lenders in Baton Rouge

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 Lenders93

Total Loans7,949

Median Rate Spread0.43%

Baton Rouge Market Insights

Dsld Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked VA lender in Baton Rouge, leading on pricing, pullthrough, VA product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Baton Rouge, Dsld Mortgage and Red River Bank scores highest on VA pricing while United Wholesale Mortgage and Dsld Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #2 in Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge: Rocket Mortgage (#9) and Gmfs (#3).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Baton Rouge

Need rankings for a different loan product?

FHA Loans Conventional Loans Jumbo Loans USDA Loans

By Institution Type

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

Shopping for a mortgage? Click the heart icon to save lenders to My Home and make comparison painless.

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	DSLD MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$90Fees	0.119%Below	566
2	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Exceptional	Strong*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,602Fees	0.372%Above	664
3	GMFS LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,889Fees	0.250%Above	1,452
4	Red River Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Strong	$995Fees	0.122%Below	92
5	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$2,701Fees	0.320%Above	202
6	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$1,025Fees	0.436%Above	116
7	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$569Fees	0.671%Below	25
8	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,944Fees	0.259%Above	148
9	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$4,057Fees	0.407%Above	391
10	HANCOCK WHITNEY BANK BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,339Fees	0.061%Above	288
11	Assurance Financial Group, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,488Fees	0.372%Above	378
12	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,144Fees	0.444%Above	137
13	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$3,944Fees	0.437%Above	50
14	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$1,637Fees	0.182%Below	21
15	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,955Credit	0.620%Above	103
16	SUN WEST MORTGAGE COMPANY, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,146Fees	0.468%Above	65
17	CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,380Fees	0.381%Above	77
18	Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,871Fees	0.281%Above	191
19	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,824Fees	0.531%Above	128
20	FIDELITY BANK BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Strong	$2,741Fees	0.339%Above	172
21	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$3,753Fees	0.437%Above	23
22	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$3,005Fees	0.489%Above	53
23	Wolfe Financial, Inc Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Strong	$4,137Fees	0.608%Above	52
24	Equity Prime Mortgage LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,026Fees	0.772%Above	71
25	NEW DAY FINANCIAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$1,919Fees	0.853%Above	21

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Baton Rouge, LA?+

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 Baton Rouge, LA), 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 Baton Rouge, LA?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 93 lenders originated a combined 7,949 loans in Baton Rouge, LA. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Baton Rouge, LA?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Baton Rouge, LA is 0.43%. 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 Baton Rouge, LA'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.