Best FHA mortgage lenders for 2026

AdvantageFirst beats other lenders' rates on about 69% of its loans nationally, and even when its borrowers don't land the single best offer available to them, the gap tends to be small — the lender trails only the very best performers in our data set on that measure. In practice, that means a borrower who doesn't get AdvantageFirst's best possible rate is unlikely to overpay by much.

AdvantageFirst earned a poor complaints rating. At 3.1 origination-related complaints per 1,000 loans, it has more complaints than average, and only 8% of its complaints end in relief for the borrower, holding the score at 2 stars. This rating isn't a red flag on its own, but it's reason enough to keep everything in writing as you go, rather than relying on a loan officer's verbal word.

AdvantageFirst's closing likelihood is low: about 12% of its approved applications don't close. But because a loan can fail to close for many reasons, some of which aren’t in the lender’s control, ask directly what typically causes an approved loan to fall through before you pay for an appraisal or lock a rate.

AdvantageFirst is licensed in 31 states, with the heaviest coverage across the West, Midwest and South. If you live in a state where this lender does business, you can expect an online and phone process — it operates out of a single office in Lake Forest, CA.

It's not available in Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia or Wyoming.

AdvantageFirst offers FHA purchase and refinance loans, and backs future refinances with its Low-Rate Lifetime Promise, which waives the origination fee if you refinance with the company again after rates drop.

American Financing beats other lenders' rates on about 70% of its loans nationally, and when its borrowers do overpay, the size of that overpayment ranks among the smallest of any lender we rate. That means a borrower who doesn't land American Financing's best rate is still unlikely to end up among the FHA borrowers losing tens of thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.

American Financing's origination-related complaint rate — 1.1 per 1,000 loans — would typically put it at 3 stars, but none of its complaints ended in relief for the borrower, and that costs the lender a full star, landing the score at 2. If a dispute comes up, don't assume it'll resolve in your favor by default — document every exchange and escalate if something feels off.

American Financing's closing likelihood is low: about 29% of its approved applications don't end up closing. That's worth asking about upfront, since a loan that falls through after approval can mean losing money already spent on costs like an appraisal. But don’t rule out a lender based on this metric alone, as loans can fail to close for a wide range of reasons.

American Financing is licensed to lend in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. That nationwide reach means location is never a disqualifier, but if you need in-person guidance, know that everything happens by phone and online, not through a retail branch.

American Financing offers FHA purchase loans, FHA refinancing and FHA cash-out refinancing. It does not offer FHA 203(k) renovation loans, so borrowers who wish to finance repairs into their mortgage will need to look elsewhere.

IntelliLoan beats other lenders' rates on about 63% of its loans nationally, and when its borrowers do overpay, the gap ranks among the smallest in our data — as good as it gets on this list. Pair that with the 5-star Overall Rating, and IntelliLoan is one of the few lenders here where both the odds and the downside favor you.

IntelliLoan had no CFPB origination-related complaints on record for the period we measured, which earns an automatic 5 stars under our methodology. That doesn't guarantee a smooth process, but it's one less thing to worry about.

IntelliLoan's closing likelihood is low, with a whopping 47% of approved applications failing to close. Approved applications fail to become closed mortgages for many reasons, but since this is the poorest likelihood percentage on the list, it’s worth asking directly about typical timelines before you commit to an application fee or appraisal cost.

IntelliLoan is licensed in 40 states plus Washington, D.C. It's not licensed in Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, West Virginia or Wyoming. And unless you're near Irvine, plan on an entirely remote process, since it operates out of a small number of Southern California offices rather than a nationwide branch network.

IntelliLoan offers FHA purchase loans, FHA streamline refinancing and FHA cash-out refinancing, with a stated minimum credit score of 580.

If you compare rates through Bankrate, Mutual of Omaha earns a full 5-star Bankrate Rating. Its advertised rate beat about 80% of comparable mortgages nationally during the period we studied, and choosing it over the very cheapest option on the table costs a little over 2% of the loan amount, on average, over the first eight years.

If you found Mutual of Omaha outside of Bankrate, the story is more middle-of-the-road: 3 out of 5 stars overall, a reminder that the rates it advertises in one place aren’t guaranteed everywhere.

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage received a 2-star rating for its origination-related complaints. While its rate of 1.5 complaints per 1,000 originations would typically earn 3 stars, it was docked a star because none of its resolved complaints ended in relief for the consumer.

Mutual of Omaha's closing likelihood is medium: about 9% of its approved applications don't close. That's a moderate risk — not the safest bet on this list, but far from the riskiest, especially when you factor in the volume of business this lender handles and the fact that loans sometimes fall through for reasons that have nothing to do with the lender. Still, it’s worth asking what typically derails a file before you're deep into the process.

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage is licensed to lend in all U.S. states except New York, and it’s also licensed in Washington, D.C. With more than 70 branches nationwide, it could be a good fit if you'd rather sit down with someone face to face instead of managing the whole process online.

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage offers FHA purchase loans, FHA streamline loans, FHA 203(k) renovation loans (including a limited option for smaller projects) and FHA cash-out refinancing. Its Mutual Assist DPA program can shrink the cash you need at closing if your credit score is over 600.

Oceanside beats other lenders' rates on about 66% of its loans nationally, and when a borrower does overpay, it tends to be by the smallest margin we measured — the top-performing group nationally. Combined with no lender fees, that makes Oceanside one of the stronger value plays on this list, and a reason not to overlook a smaller lender just because you haven’t heard of it.

Oceanside had no CFPB origination-related complaints on record for the period measured, which is enough to earn the full 5 stars. For a small, single-office lender, that's a meaningful signal — it means its FHA volume hasn't come at the cost of borrower service.

Oceanside's closing likelihood is high, with the best record on this list: none of its approved applications in our data failed to close. For a borrower worried about a deal falling apart mid-process, this blemish-free track record is reassuring. 

Oceanside is licensed in 46 states — it doesn’t operate in Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah or Washington, D.C. Unless you live in New Jersey, expect a fully remote process by phone and online, since there's no branch to visit even if you wanted one.

Oceanside offers FHA purchase loans, FHA streamline refinancing (with lender-paid closing costs on qualifying loans) and FHA cash-out refinancing, and charges no lender fees on any of them. Ask specifically what "lender-paid closing costs" covers on a streamline refinance before assuming it matches the no-fee deal on a purchase loan — the details can differ.

Sun West beats other lenders' rates on about 59% of its loans nationally, and when it doesn't win on rate, the size of the gap lands just below the top-performing group — not the single best showing on this list, but still limited. Even if Sun West doesn't come back with your best quote, the potential downside is capped, which makes it a reasonable baseline to shop against.

Sun West fields 2.1 origination-related complaints per 1,000 loans, which would have earned it a 3-star complaint rating, but not one of its resolved complaints ended in relief for the borrower — landing its final score at 2. Treat that the way you would with any lender missing this piece: get commitments on rate, fees and timeline written into the Loan Estimate itself, not just a phone call.

Sun West's closing likelihood is low: about 29% of its approved applications never reach closing, similar to several other lenders here. Ask upfront about what typically derails an approved loan before you commit, but remember that loans fail to close for a number of reasons, some unrelated to the lender.

Sun West is licensed to originate loans, including FHA loans, in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With roughly two dozen branches nationwide, including one in Puerto Rico, it's one of the more accessible options on this list if you'd rather talk to someone in person — especially for borrowers in Puerto Rico, who are often overlooked by mainland-only lenders.

Sun West offers FHA purchase loans, FHA streamline refinance loans and FHA 203(k) renovation loans. The 203(k) option matters if you want to buy a fixer-upper and need to roll renovation costs into one loan instead of juggling a separate contractor loan.

Its EQUO down payment assistance program can lower your out-of-pocket cash at closing if your credit score is over 600, and if you're an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe buying on eligible land, ask about its participation in the HUD Section 184 program.