Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Chattanooga

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 Lenders94

Total Loans7,242

Median Rate Spread0.35%

Chattanooga Market Insights

Firstbank Tn is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Chattanooga, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Chattanooga: Bank: Firstbank Tn (#1). Credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union (#4). Mortgage company: Rocket Mortgage (#2).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Chattanooga, Navy Federal Credit Union and Truist Bank scores highest on 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 Chattanooga, 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 Chattanooga: Rocket Mortgage (#2) and Tennessee Valley FCU (#20).

Explore Rankings by Type

By Loan Product

Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans USDA Loans

By Institution Type

Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!

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	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	FirstBank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,991Fees	0.241%Above	351
2	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,203Fees	0.345%Above	707
3	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,289Fees	0.019%Below	284
4	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$464Fees	0.456%Below	64
5	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,689Fees	0.245%Above	572
6	MORTGAGE INVESTORS GROUP, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,118Fees	0.145%Above	233
7	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,428Fees	0.346%Above	191
8	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$2,285Fees	0.142%Above	96
9	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,448Fees	0.380%Above	397
10	Pinnacle Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,526Fees	0.104%Above	83
11	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$3,277Fees	0.476%Above	154
12	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$2,041Fees	0.001%Below	31
13	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$980Fees	0.012%Above	28
14	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Exceptional	Sound	—	—	22
15	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,042Fees	0.457%Above	374
16	COMMUNITY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,178Fees	0.187%Above	62
17	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,828Fees	0.001%Above	103
18	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$4,590Fees	0.418%Above	78
19	Legends Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,786Fees	0.338%Above	38
20	TENNESSEE VALLEY FCU Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,328Fees	0.205%Above	321
21	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,431Fees	0.490%Above	143
22	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,512Fees	0.094%Below	69
23	First Citizens National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,226Fees	0.102%Below	29
24	SUMMIT FUNDING, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Exceptional	$5,200Fees	0.867%Above	230
25	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,692Fees	0.397%Above	148
26	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,287Fees	0.116%Above	55
27	Capital City Home Loans, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$73Fees	0.377%Above	45
28	Renasant Bank BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	$3,150Fees	0.118%Above	44
29	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Sound	$2,269Fees	0.071%Above	43
30	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,185Fees	0.151%Above	39
31	HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, LTD. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	$3,314Fees	0.458%Above	142
32	ALAMEDA MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,610Fees	0.549%Above	141
33	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$3,183Fees	0.473%Above	85
34	SmartBank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,187Fees	0.306%Above	63
35	PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$4,225Fees	0.376%Above	63
36	FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	$4,144Fees	0.427%Above	35
37	Synovus Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,884Fees	0.174%Above	23
38	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,053Fees	0.351%Above	66
39	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,343Fees	0.430%Above	54
40	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,132Fees	0.610%Above	33
41	LEADERONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$4,356Fees	0.650%Above	100
42	Citizens Tri-County Bank BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Sound	Strong	$1,639Fees	0.167%Above	84
43	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,755Fees	0.902%Above	40
44	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$3,459Fees	0.459%Above	24
45	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,307Fees	0.217%Above	54
46	NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Sound	Strong	$3,450Fees	0.572%Above	120
47	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	$3,531Fees	0.623%Above	47
48	GoodLeap, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$3,820Fees	0.145%Above	21
49	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Sound	Strong	$3,663Fees	0.285%Above	49
50	STOCKTON MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	$3,823Fees	0.457%Above	35

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Chattanooga, TN?+

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 Chattanooga, TN), 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 Chattanooga, TN?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 94 lenders originated a combined 7,242 loans in Chattanooga, TN. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Chattanooga, TN?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Chattanooga, TN is 0.35%. 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 Chattanooga, TN'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 30 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (33%)

Place

Local market expertise (33%)

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.