Safe Rate Rankings

Best VA Mortgage Lenders in Lake County

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 Lenders101

Total Loans8,809

Median Rate Spread0.45%

Lake County Market Insights

Guaranteed Rate is Safe Rate's top-ranked VA lender in Lake County, leading on pricing, pullthrough, VA product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Lake County, Navy Federal Credit Union and Guaranteed Rate scores highest on VA pricing while University Bank 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 Lake County, 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 #5 in Lake County, the nation's largest lender by volume.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Lake County

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By Institution Type

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,427Fees	0.456%Above	519
2	University Bank BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,185Fees	0.135%Above	160
3	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Exceptional	Strong*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,455Fees	0.267%Above	252
4	AMERICAN FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,476Fees	0.712%Above	288
5	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,163Fees	0.502%Above	709
6	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$823Fees	0.340%Below	55
7	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Sound	Exceptional	$1,906Fees	0.255%Above	411
8	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,842Fees	0.719%Above	354
9	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,648Fees	0.680%Above	147
10	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,275Fees	0.793%Above	116
11	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$4,141Fees	0.887%Above	301
12	MICHIGAN MUTUAL, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	Strong	$3,101Fees	0.604%Above	63
13	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$209Fees	0.179%Above	59
14	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,284Fees	0.468%Above	186
15	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,361Fees	0.935%Above	152
16	GOLD STAR MORTGAGE FINANCIAL GROUP, CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,740Fees	0.406%Above	181
17	Ixonia Bank BankDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,534Fees	0.685%Above	225
18	DIAMOND RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,169Fees	0.745%Above	325
19	AMERICAN PACIFIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,324Fees	0.548%Above	76
20	DIRECT MORTGAGE LOANS, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$4,799Fees	0.773%Above	207
21	NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,824Fees	0.685%Above	88
22	LEADERONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,072Fees	0.800%Above	67
23	CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$4,481Fees	0.408%Above	59
24	The Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$3,834Fees	0.800%Above	24

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Lake County?+

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 Lake County), 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 Lake County?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 101 lenders originated a combined 8,809 loans in Lake County. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Lake County is 0.45%. 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 Lake County'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.