Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Washington DC

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 Lenders77

Total Loans5,203

Median Rate Spread0.07%

Washington DC Market Insights

Citibank National Association is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Washington DC, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Washington DC: Bank: Citibank National Association (#1). Credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union (#2). Mortgage company: First Savings Mortgage (#6).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Washington DC, Morgan Stanley Private Bank National Association and Navy Federal Credit Union scores highest on pricing while Rocket Mortgage and First Savings Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #11 in Washington DC, 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 Washington DC: Rocket Mortgage (#10) and First Savings Mortgage (#6).

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	Citibank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$435Fees	0.344%Below	172
2	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$784Fees	0.467%Below	113
3	Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$265Fees	0.548%Below	50
4	Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Exceptional	$1,176Credit	0.114%Below	129
5	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,701Fees	0.289%Below	98
6	FIRST SAVINGS MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$2,339Fees	0.242%Above	424
7	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$259Credit	0.107%Below	110
8	Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$77Fees	0.128%Below	91
9	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Exceptional	$1,924Fees	0.044%Above	334
10	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,920Fees	0.172%Above	288
11	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	$3,391Fees	0.085%Above	134
12	First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,956Fees	0.034%Above	58
13	United Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,763Fees	0.026%Above	83
14	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$920Credit	0.060%Below	33
15	FIRST HOME MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,059Fees	0.268%Above	322
16	Atlantic Coast Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,186Fees	0.124%Above	121
17	INTERCOASTAL MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,613Fees	0.121%Above	68
18	Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$2,927Fees	0.152%Above	211
19	Vellum Mortgage, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,536Fees	0.102%Above	103
20	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$677Fees	0.038%Below	64
21	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,723Fees	0.136%Below	106
22	Capital Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	$3,089Fees	0.440%Above	95
23	Citizens Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,447Fees	0.094%Below	47
24	United Nations Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$605Fees	0.475%Below	40
25	First National Bank of Pennsylvania BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,264Fees	0.004%Above	40
26	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,584Fees	0.019%Below	144
27	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,369Fees	0.054%Above	115
28	Sandy Spring Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,105Fees	0.062%Above	53
29	CREDIT UNION MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Acceptable	Sound	$2,010Fees	0.475%Below	31
30	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$2,810Fees	0.098%Below	44
31	STATE EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION OF MARYLAND, INCORPORATED Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Sound	$1,521Fees	0.731%Below	22
32	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,681Fees	0.007%Above	51
33	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,199Fees	0.185%Above	82
34	LOANSTEADY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$416Fees	0.115%Below	44
35	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	Sound	$2,749Fees	0.069%Above	26
36	Towne Bank BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,314Fees	0.155%Above	33
37	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$1,424Fees	0.321%Above	28
38	BAY EQUITY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,906Fees	0.124%Above	63
39	EMBRACE HOME LOANS, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,703Fees	0.321%Above	63
40	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,649Fees	0.397%Above	53
41	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,356Fees	0.276%Above	122
42	Fulton Bank, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,386Fees	0.262%Above	53
43	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$1,066Fees	0.006%Above	33
44	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$2,224Fees	0.162%Above	32
45	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Sound	Strong	$2,277Fees	0.378%Above	113
46	TD Bank, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$23Credit	0.105%Above	44
47	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$1,563Fees	0.187%Above	25
48	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,007Fees	0.147%Above	48
49	HOMESPIRE MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,161Fees	0.201%Above	25
50	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	$2,262Fees	0.135%Above	35

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Washington DC?+

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 Washington DC), 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 Washington DC?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 77 lenders originated a combined 5,203 loans in Washington DC. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Washington DC is 0.07%. 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 Washington DC'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.