Safe Rate Rankings

Best USDA Mortgage Lenders in Florida

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 Lenders604
Total Loans290,958
Median Rate Spread0.31%
Florida Market Insights
  • United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked USDA lender in Florida, leading on pricing, pullthrough, USDA product expertise, and local knowledge.
  • There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Florida, Plains Commerce Bank and University Bank scores highest on USDA pricing while Guild Mortgage Company and United Wholesale Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
  • United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #1 in Florida, 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.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Florida

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RankLenderOverallPricingProductPull ThroughPlaceAvg FeesRate Spread# of LoansAction
1
UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Exceptional
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,415Fees
0.281%Above
38,081
2
GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,651Fees
0.404%Above
1,626
3
NEWREZ LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$2,830Fees
0.390%Above
3,238
4
Plains Commerce Bank
BankWholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Sound
Exceptional
$3,381Fees
0.426%Above
1,767
5
FBC MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Strong*
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$2,642Fees
0.055%Above
2,836
6
University Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,326Fees
0.092%Above
796
7
CMG MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,473Fees
0.263%Above
2,971
8
Ameris Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,570Fees
0.236%Above
1,655
9
KIND LENDING, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$2,914Fees
0.359%Above
1,134
10
Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,991Fees
0.608%Above
3,535
11
Equity Prime Mortgage LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,680Fees
0.690%Above
1,270
12
AMERICAN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,176Fees
0.635%Above
1,353
13
LOWER, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,000Fees
0.433%Above
1,274
14
FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,798Fees
0.481%Above
2,782
15
PLAZA HOME MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Strong
Sound*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,519Fees
0.503%Above
833
16
CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$4,161Fees
0.526%Above
7,983
17
Regions Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Acceptable
Exceptional
Sound
Exceptional
$2,339Fees
0.216%Above
2,282
18
UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Mediocre*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,300Fees
0.457%Above
1,846
19
MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,407Fees
0.378%Above
3,386
20
GOLD STAR MORTGAGE FINANCIAL GROUP, CORPORATION
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$3,480Fees
0.446%Above
982
21
INSPIRE HOME LOANS INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
Sound
Strong
$1,584Fees
0.417%Above
808
22
EVERETT FINANCIAL, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Strong
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
Exceptional
$3,986Fees
0.709%Above
2,431
23
RMC HOME MORTGAGE, LLC
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Strong
Exceptional
$4,148Fees
0.107%Above
1,176
24
First Federal Bank
BankDirect
Sound
Exceptional
Sound
Mediocre
Strong
$1,711Fees
0.052%Below
651
25
PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Mediocre
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$4,806Fees
0.630%Above
587
26
THE MORTGAGE FIRM, INC.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Sound
Sound
Exceptional
$3,492Fees
0.491%Above
2,773

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Florida?+

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 Florida), 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 Florida?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 604 lenders originated a combined 290,958 loans in Florida. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Florida is 0.31%. 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 Florida'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.