Safe Rate Rankings

Best VA Mortgage Lenders in Salt Lake City

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 Lenders124

Total Loans14,592

Median Rate Spread0.17%

Salt Lake City Market Insights

United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked VA lender in Salt Lake City, leading on pricing, pullthrough, VA product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Salt Lake City, Navy Federal Credit Union and Guaranteed Rate scores highest on VA pricing while United Wholesale Mortgage and Fairway Independent Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #1 in Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City: Rocket Mortgage (#6) and Intercap Lending (#4).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Salt Lake City

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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	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Exceptional	Strong*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,212Fees	0.111%Above	2,731
2	FIRST COLONY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,320Fees	0.131%Above	604
3	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,766Fees	0.136%Above	121
4	INTERCAP LENDING INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,621Fees	0.231%Above	1,154
5	KIND LENDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,844Fees	0.228%Above	499
6	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,226Fees	0.174%Above	1,019
7	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$1,109Fees	0.315%Below	32
8	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,998Fees	0.134%Above	335
9	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$2,228Fees	0.039%Below	79
10	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$3,271Fees	0.257%Above	288
11	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,105Fees	0.077%Below	166
12	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,225Fees	0.033%Above	112
13	MY MOVE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$3,609Fees	0.057%Below	337
14	RANLIFE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$7,600Fees	0.525%Above	237
15	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,890Fees	0.127%Above	139
16	GUARANTEED RATE AFFINITY, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$4,007Fees	0.354%Above	44
17	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,734Fees	0.240%Above	425
18	Plains Commerce Bank BankWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,605Fees	0.204%Above	187
19	DIRECT MORTGAGE, CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	—	—	171
20	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,085Fees	0.535%Above	201
21	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,608Fees	0.102%Above	76
22	Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,707Fees	0.255%Above	116
23	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	—	—	60
24	SECURITYNATIONAL MORTGAGE COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$5,784Fees	0.572%Above	579
25	CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$3,854Fees	0.679%Above	32

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Salt Lake City?+

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 Salt Lake City), 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 Salt Lake City?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 124 lenders originated a combined 14,592 loans in Salt Lake City. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Salt Lake City 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.

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 Salt Lake City'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.