BEST OF

10 Best Charlotte Mortgage Lenders of 2021

If you’re looking for a mortgage in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro area, you have many lenders to choose from. Here are the best options for you.

NerdWallet
Dec 1, 2021

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

Charlotte, North Carolina, offers such a wide variety of mortgage lenders that it can be hard to pick one. NerdWallet evaluated Charlotte's leading mortgage companies in various categories to help you decide. Whether you're buying a bungalow in Dilworth or refinancing a condo in Uptown, these national and local lenders are a solid place to start.

» MORE: Learn about North Carolina first-time home buyer programs

Best Charlotte Mortgage Lenders

Quicken Loans
Learn more

at Quicken Loans

Quicken Loans: NMLS#3030

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Quicken Loans

Min. credit score

580

Min. down payment

3.5%
Learn more

at Quicken Loans

Why we like it

Good for: borrowers who appreciate convenience online and on the go for a fully digital home loan experience with consistently acclaimed customer service.

Pros

  • Caters to self-service users who want to apply for a home loan online and talk to a human only as necessary.

  • Estimates the loan amount you’ll qualify for within minutes.

  • Streamlines the online process with document and asset retrieval capabilities, including the ability to edit your preapproval letter.

Cons

  • Getting a customized interest rate requires a credit check, which can affect your credit score.

  • Doesn't offer home equity loans or lines of credit.

  • Lender fees are on the high side and the fees aren't offset by particularly low mortgage rates, according to the latest data.

Read Full Review
Bank of America
Read review

Bank of America: NMLS#399802

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Bank of America

Min. credit score

620

National / regional

National
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: borrowers who like options. Bank of America offers multiple refinance loans, including FHA, VA and cash-out.

Pros

  • Offers down payment and closing cost assistance programs.

  • May give existing customers a discount on mortgage lender origination fees.

  • Offers home equity line of credit, or HELOC.

Cons

  • Doesn't offer renovation loans that roll costs into a mortgage.

Read Full Review
Fairway Independent Mortgage
Learn more

at Fairway Independent Mortgage

Fairway Independent Mortgage: NMLS#2289

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Fairway Independent Mortgage

Min. credit score

640

Min. down payment

3.5%
Learn more

at Fairway Independent Mortgage

Why we like it

Good for: borrowers who want access to a wide variety of mortgages and the convenience of a comprehensive mobile application process.

Pros

  • Offers a robust suite of loan products, including a variety of renovation loans.

  • Has a digital application that can be completed in 10 minutes.

  • Works with some state housing finance agencies to offer mortgages with down payment and closing cost assistance.

Cons

  • Mortgage rates aren't posted online.

  • Origination fees are on the high side and are not offset by low rates, according to the latest data.

Read Full Review
loanDepot
Read review

loanDepot: NMLS#174457

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
loanDepot

Min. credit score

580

Min. down payment

3.5%
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: borrowers looking to refinance or who want to start the application process online.

Pros

  • Offers digital income, asset and employment verification.

  • Offers multiple renovation loan options.

  • Has affiliated loan stores for customers who prefer face-to-face service.

Cons

  • Mortgage rates aren't available online; you'll need to contact a loan officer.

  • Does not offer home equity loans or lines of credit.

Read Full Review
BB&T (Truist)
Read review

BB&T (Truist): NMLS#399803

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
BB&T (Truist)

Min. credit score

620

Min. down payment

3%
Read review

Why we like it

BB&T excels in online convenience and offers a good variety of loan types, but has a limited physical presence outside the Southeast.

Pros

  • Offers a variety of low-down-payment mortgages as well as construction mortgages.

  • Website lets users estimate rates online by loan and property type, amount and location.

  • Has an online mortgage application.

Cons

  • Branches limited to mostly the Southeast region.

  • Does not offer FHA loans.

Read Full Review
SunTrust (Truist)
Read review

SunTrust (Truist): NMLS#2915

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
SunTrust (Truist)

Min. credit score

N/A

Min. down payment

N/A
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: first-time home buyers, doctors and other borrowers interested in low-down-payment mortgage options.

Pros

  • Offers a wide variety of loan options, including special programs for doctors.

  • Offers a complete suite of online mortgage application tools and loan tracking.

  • Sample rates and fees are easy to find on the website.

Cons

  • Customized rates aren't available online without starting an application.

  • Branches are limited mostly to the Southeast.

Read Full Review
Flagstar
Read review

Flagstar: NMLS#417490

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Flagstar

Min. credit score

660

Min. down payment

0%
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: borrowers who want a wide range of choices — not only among mortgage products, but also in the channel they prefer, whether a branch, online or on the phone.

Pros

  • Offers a wide range of loan types and products, including FHA, VA and USDA.

  • Has a full suite of online conveniences.

  • Offers customized online rate quotes with monthly payment estimates, including mortgage insurance, when applicable.

Cons

  • Home equity loans are geographically limited.

Read Full Review
Caliber
Read review

Caliber: NMLS#15622

4.0

NerdWallet rating 
Caliber

Min. credit score

620

Min. down payment

3%
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: first-time home buyers, veterans and those who may have credit challenges to overcome.

Pros

  • Offers extensive educational resources for military borrowers.

  • Provides digital tools for a streamlined application process.

  • Participates in some state down payment assistance and first-time home buyer programs.

Cons

  • No mortgage rates displayed online.

  • Doesn’t offer home equity loans or lines of credit.

Read Full Review
Navy Federal
Read review

Navy Federal: NMLS#399807

3.5

NerdWallet rating 
Navy Federal

National / regional

National

Min. down payment

0%
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: military members and their families looking for low-down-payment mortgages.

Pros

  • Offers a wide range of affordable mortgage products designed for military members.

  • Has an online application for preapproval.

  • Offers low rates compared with most lenders, according to the latest data.

Cons

  • Website does not provide customized mortgage rates based on credit score or other factors before you apply.

  • Credit union membership is limited to veterans and current military members, their families, and certain federal employees, retirees and contractors.

Read Full Review
Carrington
Read review

Carrington: NMLS#2600

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Carrington

Min. credit score

620

Min. down payment

5%
Read review

Why we like it

Good for: first-time home buyers or credit-challenged borrowers interested in government loan products.

Pros

  • Offers multiple low-down-payment loan programs.

  • May consider alternative credit data, such as bank statements and rent payments.

  • You can view customized rates for purchasing a home and apply online.

Cons

  • Doesn't offer home equity loans, HELOCs or renovation mortgages.

  • Lender fees and mortgage rates are on the high side, according to the latest data.

Read Full Review

Local mortgage lenders in Charlotte

These mortgage lenders are based in or near Charlotte and are among the metro area's most active mortgage providers. They have not been reviewed by NerdWallet.

Movement Mortgage

  • Homegrown lender that now has a national presence.

  • Mobile app lets you start your application and sync bank statements and tax software, reducing paperwork.

  • Aims to deliver a loan decision within six hours.

  • Offers low-down-payment, jumbo, FHA, VA and USDA mortgages, plus condo loans up to $3 million.

Allen Tate Mortgage

  • One of Charlotte's best-known brands for homebuying and refinancing.

  • Lets you track loan status online, plus get email notifications of milestones such as receipt of appraisal.

  • "Second Look" program encourages rate-shopping from people who have been preapproved by competing lenders; posts mortgage rates on its site.

  • Offers 15- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and 5/1 ARMs as well as jumbo, FHA, VA and USDA loans.

Sharonview Federal Credit Union

  • No lender fees for application, processing or documentation for most loans.

  • More-personalized mortgage rates are available on the site with no registration required.

  • Fixed-rate loans with terms from 30 to 10 years, plus 5/1 and 5/5 ARMs, and possible 100% financing.

  • Schedule a callback from a loan officer within four-hour windows.

  • Borrowers must meet membership eligibility requirements.

Cardinal Financial Company

  • Offers conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA and USDA loans.

  • Get a conventional loan with a down payment as low as 3%.

  • Jumbo loans are available for up to $3 million.

More from NerdWallet

Last updated on December 1, 2021

Methodology

NerdWallet's star ratings for mortgage lenders are awarded based on our evaluation of the products and services each lender offers to consumers who are actively shopping for the best mortgage. The five key areas we evaluated include the variety of loan types and products offered, online conveniences, online mortgage rate information, and the rate spread and origination fee lenders reported in the latest available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. To ensure consistency, our ratings are reviewed by multiple people on the NerdWallet Mortgages team.

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Charlotte Mortgage Lenders of 2021