Safe Rate Rankings
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!
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| Rank | Lender | Overall | Pricing | Product | Pull Through | Place | Avg Fees | Rate Spread | # of Loans | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,166Fees | 0.363%Above | 1,879 | |
2 | UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Exceptional | Strong* | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $2,852Fees | 0.090%Above | 3,809 | |
3 | First Palmetto Bank BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Exceptional | $1,110Fees | 0.037%Above | 432 | |
4 | ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,255Fees | 0.377%Above | 467 | |
5 | FBC MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $1,259Fees | 0.629%Below | 931 | |
6 | NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,529Fees | 0.438%Above | 510 | |
7 | Ameris Bank BankDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $2,896Fees | 0.184%Above | 1,480 | |
8 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Exceptional | $1,420Fees | 0.007%Above | 1,145 | |
9 | Alcova Mortgage LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Exceptional | Strong | $2,512Fees | 0.427%Above | 200 | |
10 | United Community Bank BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $2,342Fees | 0.377%Above | 225 | |
11 | First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Strong | Strong | Exceptional | $2,577Fees | 0.146%Above | 1,089 | |
12 | Renasant Bank BankDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,335Fees | 0.237%Above | 432 | |
13 | VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,247Fees | 0.026%Above | 1,302 | |
14 | PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,889Fees | 0.218%Above | 1,294 | |
15 | LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,090Fees | 0.491%Above | 929 | |
16 | MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $2,380Fees | 0.337%Above | 3,120 | |
17 | FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,369Fees | 0.525%Above | 1,062 | |
18 | ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,164Fees | 0.452%Above | 838 | |
19 | Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $2,228Fees | 0.285%Above | 476 | |
20 | LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Sound | Exceptional | $2,633Fees | 0.177%Below | 1,553 | |
21 | Assurance Financial Group, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,672Fees | 0.434%Above | 229 | |
22 | CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Exceptional | $3,602Fees | 0.538%Above | 1,294 | |
23 | RESOURCE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | $2,429Fees | 0.304%Above | 695 | |
24 | PLAZA HOME MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,890Fees | 0.484%Above | 189 | |
25 | UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Mediocre* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $3,026Fees | 0.589%Above | 462 | |
26 | ACOPIA, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Strong | Strong | Strong | $3,657Fees | 0.338%Above | 326 | |
27 | Countybank BankDirect | Strong | Sound | — | Strong | Exceptional | $1,868Fees | 0.277%Above | 322 | |
28 | CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $2,617Fees | 0.378%Above | 253 | |
29 | INSPIRE HOME LOANS INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $2,542Fees | 0.255%Above | 285 | |
30 | AMERICAN PACIFIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $4,243Fees | 0.641%Above | 214 | |
31 | First Reliance Bank BankDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Strong* | Sound | Acceptable | Exceptional | $1,719Fees | 0.106%Above | 679 | |
32 | NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $3,072Fees | 0.595%Above | 622 | |
33 | SouthState Bank, National Association BankDirect | Sound | Sound | Sound | Acceptable | Exceptional | $1,899Fees | 0.213%Above | 1,165 | |
34 | THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Sound | Acceptable* | Sound | Acceptable | Strong | $2,459Fees | 0.207%Above | 311 | |
35 | GUARANTEED RATE AFFINITY, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Sound | Acceptable | Strong | $2,812Fees | 0.316%Above | 424 | |
36 | GO MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Mediocre | Sound | Acceptable | Strong | $3,859Fees | 0.607%Above | 192 |
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 South Carolina), 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.
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.
Based on 2024 HMDA data, 345 lenders originated a combined 79,023 loans in South Carolina. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.
Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in South Carolina is 0.29%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.
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.
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.
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 South Carolina's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.
Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.
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.