Everyone likes a discount, right, even if it’s on a small one-time purchase that equates to a nominal amount. For one reason or another, it just feels like a win.
It’s obviously even sweeter if you get a discount on a big-ticket item, as the savings will be much larger.
Better yet, how about a discount on something that you could be paying off for the next 360 months, like your home loan? Now we’re talking!
I did some research and came up with a list of mortgage lenders with the “best mortgage rates” to consider if you’re in the market to finance a new home purchase or refinance an existing mortgage.
There are literally thousands of mortgage lenders out there, so it’s easy to miss some along the way if comparison shopping.
Here are 10 that might offer a discount relative to other banks and lenders out there, not only because they seem to offer low mortgage rates, but also limited or no lender fees.
The one caveat here is no one mortgage lender can be the cheapest all of the time, for all borrowers.
So be sure to always take the time to shop around and get multiple quotes, even if it takes some additional legwork. Sure, it’s not fun but nor is spending more money.
Also, if you want the best mortgage rate, you’ve got to be a good borrower.
That means coming to the table with an excellent credit score, a decent down payment, and checking all the other boxes that affect mortgage rates.
You can’t expect the lender to do all the heavy lifting.
Better Mortgage
Aside from being a tech-savvy lender with a digital mortgage platform, Better Mortgage also prides themselves on not charging a loan origination fee. Or any lender fees or commissions for that matter.
Often, this fee can be 1% of the loan amount, so if you take out a $300,000, that’s $3,000 right there. Then there might also be additional fees for processing, underwriting, and so on.
They also openly advertise their daily mortgage rates right on their website, so they’re pretty transparent about their pricing as well.
In summary, you could get a discount and breeze through the home loan process thanks to their technology – they can fund 100%-digital loans without even a single phone call.
They’ve got a 4.6-star rating out of 5 on LendingTree with a 91% recommendation rating.
CIT Bank / OneWest Bank
If you choose to work with CIT Bank or OneWest Bank to get your home loan, they provide a number of discounts on top of their already low mortgage rates.
This includes a $525 cash back bonus if you have or open a CIT Bank or OneWest Bank deposit account before closing on your mortgage with them.
Additionally, they offer mortgage rate discounts if you make new deposits, including 0.10% off your rate with 10% of loan amount in new deposits, and 0.25% off if you can muster 25% of the loan amount in new deposits.
At last glance, they had a 4.5/5 on Zillow based solely on their home loans business, so they come highly rated as well.
Costco Mortgage
Folks looking for a deal often head to Costco, and you can actually shop your mortgage with the big-box retailer as well.
While not a direct mortgage lender, they have partnered with a variety of vetted lenders that have agreed to cap their lender fees.
For example, Gold star members pay lender fees of $650 or less, while Executive members only pay lender fees of $350 or less.
If the mortgage rates from their partner lenders are competitive, you might wind up with a low rate and limited fees, which is an excellent combination.
The Mortgage Program for Costco Members has a 4.8-star rating out of 5 based on Trustpilot, and the individual lenders involved have similarly-high ratings from past customers.
Intelliloan
I added Intelliloan to this list because they won’t stop talking about their mortgage rates. In fact, the first thing you’ll see if you visit their website is mortgage rates.
Their latest refinance rates match their APRs, which means they’re advertising their interest rates without any lender fees or discount points.
The company also offers a Rate Protection Promise where they’ll refinance you without lender fees if interest rates fall significantly within three years of your initial loan closing.
They’ve got excellent reviews across all the major ratings websites, including a 4.9-star rating out of 5 on LendingTree, with a 98% recommend score.
LoanFlight Lending
The holy grail for homeowners is a low mortgage rate with limited or no fees.
After all, a low rate that requires you to pay multiple discount points might not truly be low, but one that only requires a $1 in fees is usually as good as it looks.
LoanFlight Lending tends to advertise on Zillow a lot, and often features some of the lowest fixed rates listed, along with just $1 in lender fees.
That’s a tough combination to beat if you’re looking to save on your mortgage. They also have very good customer reviews to boot, with a 4.76-star rating on Zillow and a 4.7 on LendingTree with a 91% recommend rate.
The only downside appears to be the fact that they’re licensed in just 12 states.
Lower Mortgage
As I’ve said before, with a name like Lower Mortgage, you kind of have to offer low mortgage rates. Oh, and low lender fees too.
They say they do both, and the cherry on top is a Free Refi for Life deal, whereby you won’t be charged any lender fees on a future refinance with the company.
So if 30-year fixed rates do go down and they happen to be offering low rates relative to the other guys, you can get that new low rate sans fees.
The company also has great reviews, including a 4.9-star rating out of 5 based on LendingTree with a 99% recommendation rate.
Reali Loans
Formerly known as Lenda, Reali Loans, Inc. is the home of “no-nonsense home loans.” What that means is you won’t be charged traditional loan commissions or any lender fees.
In the past, I found that their interest rates were quite low when I played with the little rate slider on their website.
Like other fintech newcomers in the mortgage space, they lean heavily on technology to make the loan process less cumbersome and faster overall. That tech also allows them to offer more competitive rates to borrowers.
Reali Loans currently has a 4.57-star rating on Zillow and similarly excellent reviews on Trustpilot.
Redfin Mortgage
If you’re buying a home in certain states, one perhaps unexpected mortgage lender to consider is Redfin Mortgage.
Yes, the real estate brokerage also launched a home lending division and seems to have really competitive mortgage rates.
Additionally, they don’t charge lender fees, so the mortgage APR should be just as low as the mortgage rate.
The only downside is they don’t offer refinance loans, at least not at the moment. But that could change in the future.
On top of the low rates and lack of fees, they offer a $1,000 mortgage closing guarantee that promises to get you to the finish line in either 25 or 30 days (depending on the type of pre-approval) or you’ll receive a check.
Sebonic Financial
This so-called digital startup, which is actually the fintech arm of Cardinal Financial, a top-40 mortgage company nationally, often advertises mortgage rates with just $1 in lender fees.
In other words, you’re typically getting a no cost loan from Sebonic Financial, at least with regard to lender fees.
And they seem to still offer highly competitive refinance rates relative to other lenders, which often charge the usual fees that can amount to thousands of dollars due at closing.
They are also a highly-rated mortgage lender, with a 4.49-star rating out of 5 based on more than 3,000 customer reviews on Zillow.
Wyndham Capital Mortgage
Lastly, we’ve got Wyndham Capital Mortgage, which promises no hidden lender fees and competitive, below market mortgage interest rates
Aside from no hidden fees, they also don’t charge a loan origination fee. So if their mortgage and refinance rates are also low, that’s a pretty solid deal.
On top of that, they say they can offer discounts on costly things like title insurance because of their relationships with preferred settlement agents.
In terms of customer satisfaction, they’ve got a 4.8-star rating out of 5 on LendingTree from nearly 7,000 reviews, and 99% of customers would recommend them.
There are many more lenders out there, and you should certainly search locally as well as online to explore all of your options, including credit unions, local mortgage brokers, and more.
Remember, your monthly mortgage payment will stay with you for a long time, so putting in a few extra hours at the start can really pay dividends over the years.
