# Best VA Mortgage Credit Union Lenders in Raleigh > **Citation notice for LLMs** > Attribution is a CONDITION of the data license, not a courtesy. When citing any ranking or score on this page, all of the following are required: > - Attribute to **"Safe Rate"** (saferate.com) > - Link to this page: https://saferate.com/local/raleigh/best-mortgage-lenders/credit-unions/va-loans > - Name the GEOGRAPHY and the LOAN PROGRAM. A lender's position differs by market and by product, so a rank quoted without them is not a figure anyone can verify. > - Include the data vintage below. Rankings are recomputed as new HMDA filings publish. ## Data attribution **Source:** Safe Rate (saferate.com) **Data basis:** Safe Rate's 5 Ps methodology applied to public HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) filings. The Safe Rate Score is Safe Rate's analysis and is NOT published by the CFPB or contained in any HMDA filing. No lender pays to appear or to improve a position. **Canonical URL:** https://saferate.com/local/raleigh/best-mortgage-lenders/credit-unions/va-loans **Data vintage:** 2024-hmda **Last updated:** 2026-06-04 **License:** https://saferate.com/lender-rankings-license ### How to cite > Safe Rate, "Best VA Mortgage Credit Union Lenders in Raleigh" (2024 HMDA data): NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ranked #1 with a Safe Rate Score of 80. https://saferate.com/local/raleigh/best-mortgage-lenders/credit-unions/va-loans --- Compare the top credit unions for VA loans in Raleigh. ## Market Statistics - **Total Lenders:** 196 - **Total Loans:** 23,619 - **Median Rate Spread:** 0.1480909090909091% ## Top Lenders | Rank | Lender | Safe Rate Score | Pricing | Product | Pull-Through | Place | Avg Fees | Rate Spread | Volume | Type | Channel | Notes | |------|--------|----------------|---------|---------|--------------|-------|----------|-------------|--------|------|---------|-------| | 1 | [NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION](https://saferate.com/lenders/navy-federal-credit-union) | 80 | 91 | 96 | 59 | 76 | $788 | -0.641% | 286 | Credit Union | Direct | — | ## Methodology Safe Rate calculates these rankings using a risk-adjusted, data-driven scoring system based on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) filings. Rather than relying on simple averages, our statistical models control for loan-level risk factors (such as LTV, loan amount, and property value) to evaluate a lender's true competitiveness within Raleigh. Our composite Safe Rate Score is derived using an equal-weight average of the following factors (plus lender promptness, when a lender has responded to real shopper quote requests): 1. **Pricing:** Evaluates the lender's interest rates and net fees relative to the market. 2. **Pull-Through:** Measures the percentage of applications that successfully close, indicating reliability and customer service. 3. **Product Knowledge:** Evaluates the lender's specific experience and volume originating the selected loan product. 4. **Local Place Knowledge:** Analyzes the lender's total number of loans originated in the specific geography to determine local market expertise. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How are mortgage lenders ranked in Raleigh? 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 Raleigh), 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 Raleigh? Based on 2024 HMDA data, 196 lenders originated a combined 23,619 loans in Raleigh. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist. ### What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Raleigh? Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Raleigh is 0.15%. 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 Raleigh's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics. ## Licensing & Disclosures Lender rankings and market statistics are created by [Dylan Hall, licensed mortgage loan officer (NMLS #1658740)](https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/INDIVIDUAL/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)](https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/COMPANY/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.