Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Lenders in Wilmington

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 Lenders104

Total Loans8,058

Median Rate Spread0.20%

Wilmington Market Insights

State Employees is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional lender in Wilmington, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Wilmington, Navy Federal Credit Union and First Bank Nc scores highest on Conventional 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 #7 in Wilmington, 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 Wilmington: Rocket Mortgage (#3) and State Employees (#1).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Wilmington

Need rankings for a different loan product?

FHA Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans

By Institution Type

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	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	STATE EMPLOYEES' Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,358Fees	0.826%Below	448
2	First National Bank of Pennsylvania BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$867Fees	0.134%Above	246
3	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,091Fees	0.271%Above	554
4	CORNING CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$808Fees	0.097%Below	167
5	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$757Fees	0.585%Below	143
6	First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,198Fees	0.121%Above	112
7	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,831Fees	0.086%Above	297
8	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,402Fees	0.168%Above	136
9	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,303Fees	0.259%Above	305
10	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,588Fees	0.105%Below	70
11	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$866Fees	0.009%Below	31
12	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,131Fees	0.279%Above	401
13	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,199Fees	0.351%Above	351
14	North State Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$835Fees	0.052%Above	99
15	American Security Mortgage Corp. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,745Fees	0.169%Above	99
16	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,938Fees	0.076%Above	66
17	First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	$976Fees	0.083%Below	168
18	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,120Fees	0.151%Above	104
19	INTERCOASTAL MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$2,065Fees	0.327%Above	94
20	Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	Sound	$362Fees	0.424%Below	30
21	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$60Credit	0.102%Above	27
22	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,294Fees	0.116%Below	92
23	PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Exceptional*	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$1,043Fees	0.060%Below	33
24	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,584Fees	0.440%Above	164
25	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,828Fees	0.573%Above	93
26	Southern Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,855Fees	0.166%Above	53
27	Fifth Third Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$1,353Fees	0.050%Below	49
28	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	Sound	$783Fees	0.080%Below	24
29	VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,989Fees	0.025%Above	76
30	First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	$2,136Fees	0.086%Above	23
31	Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,233Fees	0.400%Above	151
32	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$1,886Fees	0.206%Above	139
33	Towne Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Strong	$3,131Fees	0.284%Above	124
34	SouthState Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,746Fees	0.120%Above	32
35	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,489Fees	0.175%Below	90
36	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,087Fees	0.525%Above	63
37	Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,484Fees	0.364%Above	62
38	JET HOMELOANS, LP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,556Fees	0.348%Below	59
39	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$1,916Fees	0.360%Above	41
40	Alcova Mortgage LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	$3,485Fees	0.145%Above	39
41	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,578Fees	0.286%Above	38
42	United Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Sound	$2,015Fees	0.286%Above	27
43	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,528Fees	0.095%Above	30
44	CORNERSTONE CAPITAL BANK, SSB BankDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,765Fees	0.200%Above	93
45	FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,439Fees	0.498%Above	25
46	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,339Fees	0.152%Above	24
47	LOANSTEADY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,022Fees	0.201%Above	48
48	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,445Fees	0.508%Above	41
49	T2 FINANCIAL LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$2,451Fees	0.379%Above	34
50	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Strong	Strong	Sound	—	—	25

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Wilmington, NC?+

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 Wilmington, NC), 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 Wilmington, NC?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 104 lenders originated a combined 8,058 loans in Wilmington, NC. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Wilmington, NC?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Wilmington, NC is 0.20%. 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 Wilmington, NC'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.