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Andrew Dehan writes about home loans, real estate and personal finance. He's taken the NMLS Loan Originator education classes and passed the MLO SAFE test. Besides Bankrate, his work has been published by Rocket Mortgage, Forbes Advisor and Business Insider. He’s also a poet, musician and nature-lover. He lives in metro Detroit with his wife and children.
Katie Lowery is a Bankrate Senior Editor and content strategist on the Home Lending team, where she shapes content to help people navigate decisions around borrowing money, personal finance and overall financial health.
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California home prices are some of the highest in the country, with the median home price in January 2026 hitting $823,180, according to the California Association of Realtors. That means most buyers will need a mortgage to afford a home.
Just like with homes, you need to shop around with several mortgage lenders to find the right loan. Comparing mortgage lenders in California could land you a lower rate than just going with the first lender you see. Here are some of the best lenders in the state.
One of the top mortgage lenders in the U.S. with a nationwide presence, Chase Bank earned a perfect score for affordability and availability. Chase offers a full suite of home lending products and a wealth of online resources to help Californians navigate the homebuying process. It also received above-average scores on J.D. Power’s 2025 studies for mortgage origination and servicing satisfaction. For borrowers who want in-person support, there are over 900 Chase branches in the Golden State.
Availability: All U.S. states
Loans offered: Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more
Credit requirements: 620 for conventional, 680 for jumbo, 620 for FHA and VA loans
Down payment minimum: 3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans
Where to find: Online and branch locations
Pros
Available to borrowers in all states with more than 5,000 branch locations
New and existing Chase customers might receive rate discount
$5,000 closing guarantee
Cons
Bank might not be a fit for borrowers with unique credit or financial circumstances
U.S. Bank earned a perfect score for affordability and availability, due to its below-average rates, assortment of loan types, and accessible down payment requirements. With California’s high property values, borrowers may find the bank’s American Dream and Access Home Loans of value — these proprietary programs offer lender credits and down payment assistance to eligible borrowers. U.S. Bank is also a preferred partner for the California Housing Finance Agency, giving potential borrowers access to state-run assistance programs.
Availability: All U.S. states
Loans offered: Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more
Credit requirements: 620 for conventional loans, 640 for most FHA loans, 740 for most jumbo loans (will approve some borrowers with a score as low as 660)
Down payment minimum: 3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans
Where to find: Online and branch locations
Pros
Provides lender credit worth up to $1,000 for qualifying banking customers
Displays rates online
Offers assistance programs for eligible low-income buyers
Cons
Credit score requirements are higher than some competitors’
Headquartered in Irvine, LoanDepot understands that the California mortgage market moves quickly. This lender may appeal to borrowers seeking a speedy closing timeline — it claims to close on mortgages 17 days faster than the industry average. LoanDepot’s digital platform automates income and asset verification, and the lender’s lower credit thresholds may mean that non-prime borrowers can qualify. This lender also offers borrowers several discounts and bonus opportunities, including a down payment assistance program and a cash-back bonus for working with a partner agent. However, LoanDepot doesn’t share its mortgage rates online, which results in a lower affordability score.
Availability: All U.S. states
Loans offered: Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA and refinancing options
Credit requirements: 620 for conventional loans, 660 for jumbo loans, 520 for FHA loans, 520 for VA loans, 620 for USDA loans
Down payment minimum: 3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans, none for USDA loans
Where to find: Online and branch locations
Pros
Offers Lifetime Guarantee program
Perks like home security and moving discounts and smart home products
Bank of America stands out in the California market for its ability to help both first-time buyers and those seeking larger, high-end loans. We selected this lender because its Preferred Rewards program offers meaningful interest rate discounts that can save homeowners thousands of dollars over time, especially on the large loan amounts common in the state. For those struggling with upfront costs, the bank also provides up to $17,500 in combined grants for down payments and closing costs to eligible borrowers. Coupled with its physical branch network across the state and top-rated digital app, Bank of America could be worth consideration.
Availability: All U.S. states
Loans offered: Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more
Credit requirements: Generally, 620 for conventional loans
Down payment minimum: 3% for the lender’s Affordable Loan Solution mortgages, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans
Where to find: Online and branch locations
Pros
Offers grant programs to help low- and moderate-income buyers
Displays mortgage rates and refinance rates online
Awards discounts for Preferred Rewards customers
Cons
Has limited transparency around borrower requirements
Wells Fargo received perfect 5-out-of-5 marks for Affordability and Availability — its rates are well below Bankrate’s averages, the national bank offers robust down payment and closing cost assistance grants and it participates in affordable housing programs. Wells Fargo’s Homebuyer Access grant, which provides eligible buyers in select areas with $10,000 for a down payment. For current customers, the bank offers some of the most competitive relationship discounts in the industry, including interest rate reductions of up to 0.50% or more for those with significant qualifying assets. They also offer a closing cost credit of up to $5,000, which can be stacked with other assistance programs to further lower the barrier to entry.
Availability: All U.S. states
Loans offered: Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more
Credit requirements: 620 for conventional loans
Down payment minimum: 3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans
Where to find: Online and branch locations
Pros
Displays mortgage rates online
Massive branch network
Considers non-traditional forms of credit
Offers low-down payment options
Cons
Below-average customer satisfaction scores and negative customer reviews
History of regulatory action
How to find the best mortgage lender in California
While the best mortgage lender ultimately depends on individual circumstances and what feels “right” to you, it’s helpful to narrow down your options. Here are some tips:
Set your priorities. Do you want to talk to a loan officer in person? Do you need a faster closing? Want to apply for and track your mortgage status through an app? Consider these and other questions as you come up with your short list of lenders.
Get prequalified or preapproved. If you haven’t determined a homebuying budget, get prequalified for a mortgage first. This can help you understand how much a lender might allow you to borrow based on some preliminary financial information. If you’re ready to shop for homes, skip the prequalification and ask for a preapproval, which involves a credit check.
Ask about first-time buyer and down payment assistance. Many mortgage lenders in California work with the state’s housing finance agency to connect eligible borrowers with more affordable mortgages and down payment help. Some programs are available to both first-time and repeat buyers, too. Compare what different lenders offer and how that might impact your budget.
Depending on the type of loan you use to purchase your home, it might be subject to conforming loan limits:
Conventional loan: $832,750 in several counties for single-unit properties in 2026. Higher-priced counties — such as Alameda, Los Angeles and Marin — go up to $1,249,125.
FHA loan: $541,287 is the baseline for single-unit properties in many counties. However, higher-priced counties have limits up to $1,249,125.
California first-time homebuyer programs
If you qualify as a first-time homebuyer — meaning you haven’t owned a home in the last three years — see if you’re eligible for one of California’s programs designed to put purchasing a home within your reach. The California Housing Finance Agency, also known as CalHFA, offers a range of options geared toward buyers with low or moderate incomes for the area. You might be able to qualify for a loan with a low interest rate and/or a deferred loan to help cover a down payment and closing costs.
Certain cities might offer additional help, so be sure to search for municipal housing authority options, too. Don’t wait to start your search, however: Many of these programs are first-come, first-served and funds run out quickly.
To identify the best mortgage lenders in California, Bankrate analyzed Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data to determine which lenders issued the most mortgages to California borrowers in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available. A lender must have originated at least 1% of the mortgages in California for consideration. Lenders must report to HMDA directly, not through a parent company, and be reviewed by Bankrate, to qualify.
We then calculated a California-specific Bankrate score for each lender, based on its self-reported data and research by Bankrate staff. We assigned scores based on a lender’s affordability, availability and borrower experience, giving equal weight to each category. Lenders that received a score of 4.4 out of 5 or higher appear on this page.
To receive a top score from Bankrate, lenders must offer a mortgage rate lower than Bankrate’s tracked averages in the 90011 ZIP code (the state’s most populous ZIP code in its most populous city), and they generally also offer low-down-payment loan options and assistance for first-time homebuyers. In addition, lenders usually offer conventional and government-backed loans and typically provide at least one product for borrowers with credit scores of 620 or lower. Finally, our top-scoring lenders tend to make it easy for borrowers to compare rates and manage much of the loan process online, and they offer multiple options for customer support and generous rate-lock periods. Bankrate’s evaluations are independent and are not influenced by lender partnerships or advertising relationships. Read more about how Bankrate scores are determined here.
Some lenders may appear as honorable mentions, despite not being scored by Bankrate, due to being credit unions with limited availability that lend a large volume of loans in the state.
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Dehan, A. (2026, March 13). Best mortgage lenders in California for 2026. Bankrate. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/best-lenders/california-mortgage-lenders/
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Dehan, Andrew. "Best mortgage lenders in California for 2026." Bankrate. 13 March 2026, https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/best-lenders/california-mortgage-lenders/.
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Dehan, Andrew. "Best mortgage lenders in California for 2026." Bankrate. March 13, 2026. https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/best-lenders/california-mortgage-lenders/.
