Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in St. Petersburg

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 Lenders159

Total Loans9,727

Median Rate Spread0.31%

St. Petersburg Market Insights

United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in St. Petersburg, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in St. Petersburg: Bank: Bank of America National Association (#5). Credit union: Suncoast Credit Union (#2). Mortgage company: United Wholesale Mortgage (#1).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In St. Petersburg, Suncoast Credit Union and Morgan Stanley Private Bank National Association scores highest on pricing while Rocket Mortgage 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 St. Petersburg, 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 St. Petersburg: Rocket Mortgage (#4) and United Wholesale Mortgage (#1).

Explore Rankings by Type

By Loan Product

Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans

By Institution Type

Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

Shopping for a mortgage? Click the heart icon to save lenders to My Home and make comparison painless.

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,155Fees	0.239%Above	1,431
2	Suncoast Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,210Credit	1.004%Below	90
3	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$726Fees	0.476%Below	136
4	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,290Fees	0.271%Above	960
5	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,497Fees	0.141%Below	108
6	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,322Fees	0.068%Above	95
7	Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$317Fees	0.402%Below	33
8	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$925Fees	0.025%Above	131
9	Grow Financial Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$1,295Fees	1.235%Below	39
10	GERSHMAN INVESTMENT CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,940Fees	0.500%Above	90
11	PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Exceptional*	Sound	Strong	$1,640Fees	0.071%Below	66
12	FBC MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Sound	$1,932Fees	0.384%Above	36
13	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,540Fees	0.244%Above	202
14	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,078Fees	0.207%Above	182
15	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,379Fees	0.044%Below	173
16	Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$913Fees	0.071%Below	42
17	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,674Fees	0.443%Above	175
18	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,134Fees	0.049%Below	97
19	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$3,496Fees	0.304%Above	204
20	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$3,609Fees	0.392%Above	78
21	Fifth Third Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$776Fees	0.111%Above	60
22	Raymond James Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$8Fees	0.419%Below	25
23	HANCOCK WHITNEY BANK BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$2,905Fees	0.152%Above	26
24	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,837Fees	0.476%Above	415
25	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,158Fees	0.288%Above	172
26	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,766Fees	0.511%Above	138
27	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,044Fees	0.395%Above	126
28	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,651Fees	0.185%Above	97
29	KIND LENDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$1,845Fees	0.347%Above	94
30	CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	$3,659Fees	0.370%Above	87
31	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$3,210Fees	0.372%Above	73
32	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,195Fees	0.039%Below	22
33	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$3,394Fees	0.262%Above	70
34	SouthState Bank, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,309Fees	0.137%Above	37
35	Synovus Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$3,291Fees	0.074%Above	36
36	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,789Credit	0.245%Above	137
37	THE MORTGAGE FIRM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,188Fees	0.549%Above	104
38	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$2,330Fees	0.256%Above	58
39	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,266Fees	0.109%Above	38
40	Bell Bank BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$2,105Fees	0.165%Above	38
41	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Sound	Strong	$2,391Fees	0.410%Above	206
42	VAN DYK MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,568Fees	0.441%Above	118
43	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,914Fees	0.219%Above	110
44	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	$3,143Fees	0.471%Above	95
45	ACHIEVA CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,305Fees	0.052%Above	51
46	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,546Fees	0.036%Below	25
47	HOMEOWNERS FINANCIAL GROUP USA, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	$3,738Fees	0.444%Above	104
48	Plains Commerce Bank BankWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$3,215Fees	0.329%Above	71
49	MIDFLORIDA Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Strong	Sound	Strong	$940Fees	0.138%Above	42
50	EVERETT FINANCIAL, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	$3,165Fees	0.664%Above	130

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in St. Petersburg?+

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 St. Petersburg), 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 St. Petersburg?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 159 lenders originated a combined 9,727 loans in St. Petersburg. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in St. Petersburg?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in St. Petersburg is 0.31%. 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 St. Petersburg'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 30 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (33%)

Place

Local market expertise (33%)

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.