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Safe Rate Rankings

Best VA Mortgage Lenders in Portland

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 5 PsRankings are calculated from observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place, plus Promptness when a lender has answered real shopper quote requests.
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 Lenders172
Total Loans25,831
Median Rate Spread0.23%
Portland Market Insights
  • United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked VA lender in Portland, leading on pricing, pullthrough, VA product expertise, and local knowledge.
  • There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Portland, Nbkc Bank and Navy Federal Credit Union scores highest on VA pricing while Cornerstone Capital Bank SSB 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 Portland, 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 Portland: Rocket Mortgage (#25) and Onpoint Community Credit Union (#9).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Portland

Need rankings for a different loan product?

Shopping for a mortgage? Hit Get Quote on any lender to add it to My Home and request real quotes.

1
UWM
United Wholesale Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesaleResponds to quote requests promptly
Overall
Exceptional
Avg Fees
$3,162Fees
2
GR
Guaranteed Rate
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Exceptional
Avg Fees
$3,400Fees
3
CM
CMG Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,745Fees
4
NFCU
Navy Federal Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$746Fees
5
CM
CLM Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$516Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$800Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,768Fees
8
NB
NBKC Bank
BankDirectHasn't responded yet
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$792Fees
9
OCCU
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,361Fees
10
MM
Movement Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,889Fees
11
NDM
Nations Direct Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,078Fees
12
FIM
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,753Fees
13
FM
Freedom Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,201Fees
14
GM
Guild Mortgage Company
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,500Fees
15
LS
The Loan Store
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,335Fees
16
LC
loanDepot
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,559Fees
17
PP
PrimeLending
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,632Fees
18
KL
Kind Lending
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,937Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,440Fees
20
ALTF
Ark-La-Tex Financial Services
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,898Fees
21
DM
Directors Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
22
FB
Flagstar Bank
BankDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,511Fees
23
CM
CrossCountry Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$5,068Fees
24
N
NewRez
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,755Fees
25
RM
Rocket Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & WholesaleHasn't responded yet
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,131Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,885Fees
27
PLS
PennyMac Loan Services
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & WholesaleHasn't responded yet
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,083Fees
28
UHM
Union Home Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,046Fees
29
MRC
Mortgage Research Center
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,294Fees
30
BE
Bay Equity
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,290Fees
31
PRMG
Paramount Residential Mortgage Group
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,715Fees
32
ZHL
Zillow Home Loans
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,237Fees
33
PHM
Plaza Home Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,953Fees
34
APM
American Pacific Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,461Fees
35
ME
Mortgage Express
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,667Fees
36
MOM
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,632Fees
37
EMM
Evergreen Moneysource Mortgage Company
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$4,754Fees
38
BE
Bank of England
BankDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,336Fees
39
SBN
Sunflower Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$5,037Fees
40
NAF
New American Funding
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$3,036Fees
41
NM
Nationstar Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$3,168Fees
42
SOL
Synergy One Lending
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$5,377Fees
43
PRM
Pacific Residential Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$4,927Fees
44
HSB
HomeStreet Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$2,022Fees
45
PRM
Primary Residential Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$4,076Fees
46
SM
Summit Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$3,620Fees
47
LHL
Luminate Home Loans
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$5,809Fees
48
MMM
Mason Mcduffie Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$3,636Fees

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Portland?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 5 Ps framework. Four are derived 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 Portland), and Product (performance on specific loan types). The fifth, Promptness, is behavioral: it credits lenders who answer real shopper quote requests quickly. Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0 to 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 Portland?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 172 lenders originated a combined 25,831 loans in Portland. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Portland is 0.23%. 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 Portland's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use an equal-weight average of scores across our core categories (Pricing, Product, Pull-Through, Place), with lender promptness blended in when a lender has responded to real shopper quote requests.

Our Point System (Max 40 Points)

10/ 40 pts
Pricing
Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)
10/ 40 pts
Pull Through
Reliability in closing loans (25%)
10/ 40 pts
Product
Specialization in the loan type (25%)
10/ 40 pts
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.