Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Winston

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 Lenders109

Total Loans8,368

Median Rate Spread0.34%

Winston Market Insights

State Employees is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Winston, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Winston: Bank: First National Bank of Pennsylvania (#4). Credit union: State Employees (#1). Mortgage company: Rocket Mortgage (#3).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Winston, Navy Federal Credit Union and Allegacy Federal Credit Union 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 #9 in Winston, 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 Winston: Rocket Mortgage (#3) and State Employees (#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 USDA 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	STATE EMPLOYEES' Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,148Fees	0.710%Below	633
2	ALLEGACY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$175Credit	0.294%Below	186
3	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,963Fees	0.424%Above	792
4	First National Bank of Pennsylvania BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$846Fees	0.157%Above	243
5	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$750Fees	0.195%Above	179
6	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$455Fees	0.591%Below	66
7	First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,467Fees	0.018%Below	35
8	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,605Fees	0.460%Above	604
9	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,827Fees	0.011%Above	240
10	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,314Fees	0.054%Above	64
11	Truliant Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	$894Fees	0.250%Above	152
12	VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$4,146Fees	0.139%Above	129
13	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,630Fees	0.190%Above	44
14	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,637Fees	0.365%Above	353
15	Pinnacle Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,931Fees	0.152%Above	87
16	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Exceptional	Sound	—	—	35
17	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,175Fees	0.531%Above	363
18	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,993Fees	0.075%Above	133
19	Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,333Fees	0.247%Above	159
20	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,400Fees	0.256%Above	94
21	First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,685Fees	0.034%Above	84
22	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,598Fees	0.269%Above	78
23	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,709Fees	0.435%Above	159
24	INSPIRE HOME LOANS INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,141Fees	0.638%Above	86
25	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,954Fees	0.252%Above	76
26	Piedmont Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$494Fees	0.070%Above	72
27	PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Exceptional*	Sound	Sound	$1,825Fees	0.019%Below	26
28	HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, LTD. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Strong	Exceptional	$3,357Fees	0.157%Above	265
29	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,939Fees	0.199%Above	75
30	Atlantic Coast Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,044Fees	0.382%Above	58
31	American Security Mortgage Corp. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,511Fees	0.164%Above	23
32	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	$2,568Fees	0.528%Above	169
33	The Fidelity Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,256Fees	0.310%Above	54
34	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,627Fees	1.199%Above	179
35	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$3,080Fees	0.292%Above	115
36	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,571Fees	0.257%Below	54
37	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Sound	$4,000Fees	0.359%Above	28
38	CREDIT UNION MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Acceptable	Sound	$897Fees	0.867%Below	22
39	HOWARD HANNA FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,437Fees	0.429%Above	63
40	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$1,917Fees	0.374%Above	47
41	EQUITY RESOURCES, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,606Fees	0.116%Above	36
42	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,984Fees	0.215%Above	29
43	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,726Fees	0.589%Above	131
44	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,105Fees	0.505%Above	44
45	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,231Fees	0.614%Above	31
46	CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	$2,838Fees	0.634%Above	30
47	MICHIGAN MUTUAL, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$727Fees	0.130%Above	33
48	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,050Fees	0.607%Above	59
49	PLAZA HOME MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$3,855Fees	0.296%Above	31
50	BAY EQUITY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$3,747Fees	0.152%Above	24

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Winston?+

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 Winston), 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 Winston?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 109 lenders originated a combined 8,368 loans in Winston. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Winston?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Winston is 0.34%. 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 Winston'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.