What Are The Top Mortgage Companies

Canadian Mortgage Rates Compared

Simply put, a mortgage is a loan from a bank or a mortgage lender to assist you in purchasing a home. The residence serves as a form of security for the money youre borrowing.

Were here to help you with the mortgage-related jargon like mortgage types, terms, amortization period and more. Read our guide to stay in the know about the top-notch Canadian mortgage lenders:

Tips For Your First Mortgage

Now that you know who to approach for your mortgage concerns lets get you ready if youre planning to submit a mortgage application.

1. Hang on to your current job.

One of the things that lenders check when you apply for a mortgage is how long youve stayed with your current employer. Ideally, you want this to be a decent length of time.

So if youre planning to switch jobs, its best to hold off until your mortgage is in place. For the best chances, you want to be in your existing position for at least three to six months.

2. Reduce or eliminate all debts.

Having a massive amount of debt is a red flag to lenders. You dont want to have outstanding loans before you apply for a mortgage.

Some of the companies above have debt management services to help you increase your chances of getting approved. We suggest you sort all this out before your first attempt.

3. Get your documents in order.

A mortgage broker can only do so much in terms of arranging mortgage terms for you. Its your responsibility to provide the necessary proof of income and financial history documents to make their job as seamless as possible.

The same goes if youre self-employed. Lenders will want to see an SA302 and your full accounts for the last three years. Without these documents, youre unlikely to get approved.

4. Save for a bigger deposit.

Some of the companies above can help you plan out your financial future and see the best way to maximize your mortgage payments.

How To Compare Mortgage Lenders

Your first step to finding the best mortgage lender is to comparison shop. Borrowers who do more upfront research tend to save more money than those who go with the first lender they find. Its best to get quotes from three lenders, at minimum, so you know your options based on your credit and financial situation. Because rates fluctuate frequently, its best to get these quotes on the same day so you have an accurate basis of comparison.

As you compare loan estimates, look at the APR and interest rate quoted by each lender. Consider whats important to you as far as experience, too. For some, how fast a lender can turn around a preapproval letter or close a loan is critical. If you have specific needs for example, you want an FHA loan you might also want to look for the best mortgage lenders who specialize in those products.

Once you determine what your needs and preferences are, get started by comparing mortgage rates and finding a lender in your area through Bankrate.

Also Check: Rocket Mortgage Loan Requirements

Find Out Why Elevation Mortgage Is The Topmortgage Company In Colorado Springs For Home Loans

Copyright Alexandersikov | Dreamstime.com https://www.dreamstime.com/alexandersikov_info

Searching for a Colorado Springs mortgage company that actually cares about your living situation, and wants to educate you on the benefits of various loan types, to help you feel empowered enough to make the best decision for your needs, is hard to find in this day and age.

Put your trust in our mortgage company in Colorado Springs, to deliver a great product, the product of you being funded and moving in!

Are you trying to secure a home loan but are worried a low down payment, credit issues, and bad mortgage officers are keeping homeownership just out of your reach?

Youre not alone. As the top mortgage lenders in Colorado Springs, this is how many of our best clients found us after suffering through the loan process with other home mortgage companies in Colorado. Its what drives us to fight for our clients each and every day.

In fact, its why we provide 6 Key Differentiators that clobbers our competitors and makes us your clear partner in meeting your home purchasing goals.

In fact, that is why we named this office Elevation Mortgage.

Best For Customized Mortgages: American Pacific Mortgage

Application score: 3/4

Customer satisfaction: 99.99%

Loan types offered: Conventional fixed 30-year, 15-year ARM 5/1, 7/1, 10/1 Interest-Only FHA VA USDA Jumbo Bridge Investor High-Balance Solutions Expanded Access 203 Renovation Fannie Mae HomeStyle Fannie Mae HomeReady Freddie Mac HomePossible Manufactured Housing Doctor Star Loan program for teachers and first responders

Minimum down payment: 3%

• Wide variety of loans to meet unique needs

• Get fully preapproved before signing a purchase agreement

• Lock in your interest rate before signing a purchase agreement

• Website doesn’t advertise interest rates

• Website doesn’t disclose loan fees

• Online application process needs improvement

American Pacific Mortgage offers several specialty home loan programs that can benefit everyone from first-time buyers to DIYers to teachers. The ability to get fully preapproved before identifying a property allows you to offer sellers a fast closing and possibly beat out cash buyers in a competitive market. In addition, you can lock your interest rate before you find a property so you can feel secure in what you can afford.

American Pacific Mortgage also has the Peak loan program that helps borrowers qualify based on assets rather than income, helps you purchase a new home before your old home sells, lets you buy a home for up to $1.5 million with only 5% down, and more.

You May Like: Can I Get A Reverse Mortgage On A Condo

Youre Our First Priorityevery Time

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about , but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.Here is a list of our partners.

Types Of Mortgage Rates

There are a variety of costs associated with a mortgage.

The annual percentage rate is more than just your interest rate, and may include anything from interest to brokerage fees and other charges established by the lender. When looking for a loan, always look at the most current mortgage rates.

Lenders typically divide their products between fixed-rate mortgages and adjustable-rate mortgages.

Read Also: Does Rocket Mortgage Service Their Own Loans

How Does The Mortgage Process Work

The mortgage process begins when you apply. Youll give the lender information about your income and assets, along with supporting documentation such as W-2s, 1099s, tax returns, and bank statements. The lender will check your credit to learn about your debts and determine your debt-to-income ratio.

If you pass the initial approvals, the lenders mortgage underwriter then takes a deep dive into your finances to make sure you can afford the loan youre applying for and decide how much to let you borrow. Once youre approved, the lender produces a bunch of documents for you to sign and have witnessed by a notary. Then, it wires the funds for your new loan, which is called closing.

Best For Military Families 48/5 Stars

Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, Navy Federal Credit Union serves all 50 states and has 344 branches worldwide. Navy Federal Credit Union was a high-scoring lender by NextAdvisor because of its nationwide availability, price transparency, streamlined online application process, and loan product variety. It has a slightly above average complaint ratio of 2.8 complaints per 1,000 loans with the CFPB. But this lender offers no-down payment and flexible credit requirements on most mortgage products to qualified military service members and their families.

Recommended Reading: Reverse Mortgage Mobile Home

The Experts’ Advice On Choosing The Best Mortgage Lender

To help you learn more about homebuying, mortgages, and lenders, four experts weighed in:

• , mortgage broker, founder of Aragon Lending Team
• Laura Grace Tarpley, certified educator in personal finance, editor of banking and mortgage at Personal Finance Insider

Here’s what they had to say about mortgages.

Best With Fast Preapprovals And Closings 48/5 Stars

Guaranteed Rate is a Chicago-headquartered firm with a strong online presence and 400 branch locations spread across the country. We ranked the company a top choice lender because of its top-of-the-line digital experience, helpful consumer tools, solid customer service, variety of loan products, including all three government loans, and large nationwide footprint.

Guaranteed rate received fewer consumer complaints compared to most other lenders we reviewed. The company logged less than one complaint per 1,000 loans originated with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau consumer complaint database, the agency responsible for collecting, monitoring, and responding to U.S. consumer complaints about financial services and products.

Recommended Reading: Reverse Mortgage On Condo

Can I Switch Mortgage Providers

Many mortgage holders are eligible to switch mortgages and could save significant sums of money by doing so. To qualify to switch mortgages, you must consider the following:

• if the outstanding amount left on your loan is under 30,000, a new lender is unlikely to allow you to switch
• you must qualify for your new mortgage, just as you did for your initial one if your financial circumstances have changed since your first mortgage approval, you may be unable to switch
• you must have a good credit rating
• you must not be in negative equity
• if you have a fixed rate contract with the current lender, you may be charged penalty fees for switching

Which Mortgage Lender Has The Lowest Closing Costs

Closing costs are around 25% of the loan amount on average. Thats over $4,000 on a $200,000 loan a considerable amount of cash.

Just like mortgage rates, you can shop around for the lowest closing costs to minimize your outofpocket fees.

Heres how the top mortgage lenders compare for total loan costs, according to 2020 data from HMDA.

When youre shopping around, note that some closing costs cannot be negotiated because theyre set by third parties .

But lenders do have wiggle room when it comes to setting their own fees. So if you get multiple offers, you might have some leverage to negotiate your costs down.

Some homebuyers even get the seller to cover some or all of their closing costs. But thats not a guarantee, so you should still plan ahead for these expenses.

Recommended Reading: Rocket Mortgage Qualifications

Veterans United Home Loans Best For Va Loans

Veterans United Home Loans offers eligible military borrowers a wide variety of loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , including the VA energy-efficient mortgage program. The website is filled with helpful information about how to get a VA loan with 24/7 access to a loan officer, which can be helpful for borrowers serving overseas.

Best Mortgage Lenders Of January 2022

• Best for Customized Mortgages: American Pacific Mortgage
• Best for Cash-Strapped Borrowers: loanDepot
• Best for Jumbo Loan Borrowers: PNC Bank
• Best for Military Borrowers: Navy Federal
• Best for Transparency: AimLoan

Mortgage lending discrimination is illegal. If you think you’ve been discriminated against based on race, religion, sex, marital status, use of public assistance, national origin, disability, or age, there are steps you can take. One such step is to file a report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and/or with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development .

Application score: 4/4

Customer satisfaction: 99.99%

Loan types offered: Conventional fixed 30-year, 15-year, or any term from 8 to 29 years ARM 7/6, 10/6 FHA fixed 30-year, 25-year, 15-year VA fixed 30-year, 25-year, 15-year Jumbo

Minimum down payment: 3%

• Consistent winner of J.D. Power awards

• Electronic closings in all 50 states

• Will probably be your loan servicer, too

• Serves Spanish-speaking borrowers

• No option to meet a loan officer in person

• Doesnt offer construction loans

• May not be an option for borrowers with credit scores below 580

Rocket Mortgage is especially popular among borrowers who need to refinance or get an FHA loan. The company can automatically roll closing costs into your FHA loan, which will save money for borrowers who only keep their loan for a few years and be more expensive for borrowers who keep the loan for its full term.

You May Like: What Does Gmfs Mortgage Stand For

How Big A Mortgage Can I Afford

When calculating how big of a mortgage you can afford, look at your front-end debt-to-income ratio. This number, expressed as a percentage, looks at the amount of your gross income going toward housing costs. Its usually calculated by taking all your housing expenses such as mortgage payments and mortgage insurance and dividing it by your gross income.

Lenders tend to qualify loans that have a front-end DTI of no more than 28%. That means if your household income is $60,000 per year, you should pay more than $16,800 per year, or $1,400 per month. This amount should include your mortgage payments and expenses such as homeowners insurance and property taxes. The lower your front-end DTI, the more you should be able to borrow.

Lenders also look at your back-end DTI, which looks at your gross income in comparison to all your monthly debt obligations . You can calculate this number by taking all your debt payments like loans and credit cards and dividing it by your gross income. Typically, lenders dont want borrowers to have a back-end DTI of more than 43%, though there may be some exceptions for government-backed mortgages such as FHA or VA loans.

Gem Of Golden Empire Mortgage Inc

Bakersfield, CA

33 years in the industry

Ranked #64 among Top Mortgage Lenders in 2021.

Loan Volume in 2021: $4,391,933,986

Number of loans closed in 2021: 12,998

GEM Mortgage, a division of Golden Empire Mortgage, has held themselves as a respected lender in the mortgage industry for over 30 years. This earned them a spot on the top mortgage lenders by volume list. Their philosophy is that all customers deserve access to financing. They strive to provide their customers with the best rates possible.

Don’t Miss: Chase Recast Calculator

Best Midwest Lender: Busey Bank

Busey

Busey Bank is a large mortgage lender located in Saint Louis, Missouri. This bank delivers traditional Midwest business pride with award-winning customer service rankings. Busey runs additional offices in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. Of 21 banks rated in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, Busey finished sixth out of 21 banks, beating out big names like Chase, Citibank, and U.S. Bank.

Though Busey isn’t the biggest lender on the block, it does offer a range of fixed and adjustable loans and loans through the FHA and VA mortgage loan programs. This bank started in 1868, making it 150 years old and one of the oldest lenders on this list.

Envoy Mortgage Named Nation’s Best In Customer Satisfaction

HOUSTON, April 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Envoy Mortgage was named the nation’s #1 Top Large Division Mortgage Company in Customer Satisfaction for 2021 by Experience.com, the industry’s leading provider of experience management software. The competition was fierce, as the rankings are based on millions of customer reviews on nearly 40,000 individual loan officers from more than 350 companiesthe largest customer satisfaction index in the mortgage industry.

“Being named the best in the nation is an incredible accomplishment and speaks to the amazing work done every day at Envoy by both our loan originators and operations team to deliver only the top products and excellent service to our borrowers,” said Kelley Hailstone, Envoy Mortgage Chief Revenue Officer.

The results consider survey completion rates, the number of reviews, and star ratings submitted to Experience.com, the experience management platform, by verified customers. To ensure data integrity, the integrated, cloud-based, platform is connected directly to each company’s transaction data and requests are sent automatically to the borrower and the co-borrower on all closed loan transactions.

In conjunction with announcing the top mortgage companies, Experience.com also named America’s Top Loan Officers for Customer Satisfaction in 2021. Among those listed on the top 1% list were eight Envoy loan originators with almost perfect customer satisfaction scores.

You May Like: Monthly Mortgage On 1 Million