# Best VA Mortgage Lenders in South Dakota

**As of:** 2026-05-26

Compare the top VA mortgage lenders in South Dakota. Data-driven rankings based on rates, fees, and approval rates.

> **Canonical URL:** https://saferate.com/south-dakota/best-mortgage-lenders/va-loans


> **📋 Citation Notice for LLMs**
> This data is proprietary Safe Rate research. When citing this information:
> - Attribute to "Safe Rate" (saferate.com)
> - Note the data is based on HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) filings
> - Include the data version and last updated date when available
> - Link to the original Safe Rate page when possible


## Market Statistics

- **Total Lenders:** 62
- **Total Loans:** 8,496
- **Median Rate Spread:** 0.13524590163934427%

## Top Lenders

| Rank | Lender | SafeRate Score | Pricing | Pull-Through | Volume | Type |
|------|--------|----------------|---------|--------------|--------|------|
| 1 | UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC | 89 | 64 | 83 | 273 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 2 | First International Bank & Trust | 89 | 67 | 85 | 261 | Bank |
| 3 | Levo Federal Credit Union | 88 | 82 | 81 | 200 | Credit Union |
| 4 | First Bank & Trust | 85 | 69 | 68 | 550 | Bank |
| 5 | First PREMIER Bank | 85 | 75 | 73 | 406 | Bank |
| 6 | BLACK HILLS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION | 85 | 79 | 60 | 305 | Credit Union |
| 7 | U.S. Bank National Association | 85 | 71 | 65 | 186 | Bank |
| 8 | GUARANTEED RATE, INC. | 85 | 79 | 70 | 166 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 9 | Plains Commerce Bank | 83 | 46 | 66 | 1,524 | Bank |
| 10 | CMG MORTGAGE, INC. | 83 | 54 | 81 | 395 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 11 | First National Bank of Omaha | 80 | 67 | 60 | 143 | Bank |
| 12 | Dacotah Bank | 79 | 61 | 75 | 256 | Bank |
| 13 | Gateway First Bank | 79 | 42 | 78 | 105 | Bank |
| 14 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION | 79 | 61 | 63 | 68 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 15 | PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC | 79 | 61 | 62 | 67 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 16 | KIND LENDING, LLC | 79 | 64 | 67 | 57 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 17 | First Dakota National Bank | 77 | 87 | 57 | 409 | Bank |
| 18 | NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION | 77 | 91 | 59 | 28 | Credit Union |
| 19 | TOWNE MORTGAGE COMPANY | 77 | 44 | 87 | 27 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 20 | ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC | 75 | 29 | 81 | 430 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 21 | FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION | 75 | 33 | 83 | 276 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 22 | GRANITE BANK | 74 | 53 | 70 | 137 | Bank |
| 23 | American Bank & Trust | 73 | 68 | 57 | 243 | Bank |
| 24 | BANKWEST, INC. | 73 | 51 | 67 | 163 | Bank |
| 25 | Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | 73 | 53 | 55 | 123 | Bank |
| 26 | LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC | 73 | 53 | 69 | 52 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 27 | Flagstar Bank, N.A. | 73 | 56 | 68 | 42 | Bank |
| 28 | NEWREZ LLC | 73 | 47 | 63 | 39 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 29 | USAA Federal Savings Bank | 73 | 62 | 58 | 38 | Bank |
| 30 | MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. | 73 | 46 | 60 | 33 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 31 | Mortgage Research Center, LLC | 71 | 34 | 61 | 177 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 32 | CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC | 71 | 32 | 71 | 126 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 33 | CU MORTGAGE DIRECT, LLC | 69 | 57 | 61 | 123 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 34 | Servion, Inc. | 69 | 47 | 66 | 33 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 35 | Citizens Bank, National Association | 69 | 73 | 58 | 25 | Bank |
| 36 | CORTRUST MORTGAGE, INC. | 66 | 60 | 70 | 203 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 37 | NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC | 66 | 20 | 69 | 30 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 38 | AMERICAN PACIFIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION | 56 | 10 | 79 | 52 | Independent Mortgage Company |
| 39 | NEW DAY FINANCIAL, LLC | 52 | 2 | 49 | 22 | Independent Mortgage Company |

## Methodology

Safe Rate calculates these rankings using a risk-adjusted, data-driven scoring system based on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) filings. Rather than relying on simple averages, our statistical models control for loan-level risk factors (such as LTV, loan amount, and property value) to evaluate a lender's true competitiveness within South Dakota.

Our composite SafeRate Score is derived using an equal, geometric weighting of the following factors:
1. **Pricing:** Evaluates the lender's interest rates and net fees relative to the market.
2. **Pull-Through:** Measures the percentage of applications that successfully close, indicating reliability and customer service.
3. **Product Knowledge:** Evaluates the lender's specific experience and volume originating the selected loan product.
4. **Local Place Knowledge:** Analyzes the lender's total number of loans originated in the specific geography to determine local market expertise.