Safe Rate Rankings
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!
Explore Rankings by Type
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| Rank | Lender | Overall | Pricing | Product | Pull Through | Place | Avg Fees | Rate Spread | # of Loans | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | VELOCIO MORTGAGE L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | Strong | $482Fees | 0.889%Below | 75 | |
2 | UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Exceptional | Sound* | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | $3,211Fees | 0.065%Above | 427 | |
3 | ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | $3,971Fees | 0.237%Above | 511 | |
4 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Strong | Sound | Strong | $1,160Fees | 0.012%Below | 136 | |
5 | PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $1,708Fees | 0.012%Above | 96 | |
6 | LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $1,400Fees | 0.135%Below | 114 | |
7 | American Security Mortgage Corp. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $2,172Fees | 0.054%Above | 94 | |
8 | MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $1,602Fees | 0.213%Above | 257 | |
9 | Truist Bank BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Sound | Strong | $973Fees | 0.032%Above | 150 | |
10 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $294Credit | 0.003%Below | 62 | |
11 | INTERCOASTAL MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Sound | $1,558Fees | 0.264%Above | 25 | |
12 | VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Exceptional | Sound | $3,729Fees | 0.259%Above | 24 | |
13 | M/I FINANCIAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $3,738Fees | 0.141%Below | 44 | |
14 | UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Exceptional | Strong | $3,976Fees | 0.346%Above | 110 | |
15 | FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Exceptional | Strong | $2,562Fees | 0.337%Above | 84 | |
16 | GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $1,969Fees | 0.106%Above | 68 | |
17 | GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $3,970Fees | 0.130%Above | 51 | |
18 | CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Sound | $2,288Fees | 0.066%Above | 46 | |
19 | NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Exceptional | Sound | $3,766Fees | 0.539%Above | 30 | |
20 | NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $2,074Fees | 0.117%Above | 46 | |
21 | ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Exceptional | Sound | $3,396Fees | 0.243%Above | 38 | |
22 | Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Strong | Strong | Sound | $3,635Fees | 0.319%Above | 15 | |
23 | CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $3,109Fees | 0.417%Above | 106 | |
24 | ZILLOW HOME LOANS, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $1,928Fees | 0.272%Above | 77 | |
25 | Towne Mortgage of the Carolinas, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Strong | Strong | Strong | $3,210Fees | 0.197%Above | 44 | |
26 | GoodLeap, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $4,174Fees | 0.216%Below | 17 | |
27 | CORNERSTONE CAPITAL BANK, SSB BankDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Exceptional | Sound | $3,525Fees | 0.521%Above | 14 | |
28 | NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Mediocre | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $2,616Fees | 0.437%Above | 41 | |
29 | CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $4,633Fees | 0.477%Above | 21 | |
30 | NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Sound | $2,447Fees | 0.254%Above | 34 | |
31 | GoPrime Mortgage, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Sound | Acceptable* | Strong | Sound | Sound | $2,596Fees | 0.470%Above | 32 | |
32 | AMERISAVE MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $4,087Fees | 0.677%Above | 15 |
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 Durham), 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.
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.
Based on 2024 HMDA data, 99 lenders originated a combined 6,285 loans in Durham. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.
Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Durham is 0.17%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.
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.
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.
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 Durham's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.
Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.
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.