Best mortgage lenders in California
No lender is best for everyone, so this page ranks California lenders on what federal records can measure: who makes the most loans here, who leads for FHA and VA, and what their California borrowers paid. All figures are 2025 HMDA data; no lender pays to be listed.
Who leads for what in California
"Most loans" and "Largest average loan" are among the 15 lenders with the most California originations in 2025 (the latter counts lenders with at least 300 loans in the state); FHA and VA leaders count every lender's home-purchase loans.
The 15 lenders that made the most home loans in California
| # | Lender | Type | Loans | FHA | VA | Avg loan | Approval* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Wholesale Mortgage | Nonbank lender | 57,281 | 18.9% | 11.5% | $539,202 | 85.2% |
| 2 | Rocket Mortgage | Nonbank lender | 42,202 | 9.5% | 5.0% | $453,597 | 80.3% |
| 3 | Bank of America | Bank | 17,758 | 0.2% | 0.0% | $686,036 | 58.9% |
| 4 | U.S. Bank | Bank | 16,136 | 1.1% | 0.7% | $775,716 | 61.1% |
| 5 | SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union | Credit union | 14,224 | 0.1% | 0.0% | $240,781 | 88.1% |
| 6 | Chase | Bank | 14,032 | 0.8% | 0.4% | $1,335,450 | 86.7% |
| 7 | PennyMac | Nonbank lender | 10,749 | 14.7% | 10.0% | $578,942 | 81.0% |
| 8 | loanDepot | Nonbank lender | 9,983 | 16.1% | 6.9% | $408,373 | 76.2% |
| 9 | Wells Fargo | Bank | 9,616 | 0.9% | 0.3% | $1,579,941 | 84.9% |
| 10 | CrossCountry Mortgage | Nonbank lender | 9,599 | 12.2% | 7.7% | $662,721 | 94.7% |
| 11 | The Loan Store, Inc. | — | 8,432 | 5.8% | 2.2% | $445,511 | 85.0% |
| 12 | Ocmbc, Inc. | — | 7,327 | 27.7% | 2.3% | $517,716 | 90.8% |
| 13 | Spring Eq, LLC | — | 6,742 | 0.0% | 0.0% | $140,789 | 38.1% |
| 14 | Lennar Mortgage | Nonbank lender | 6,607 | 21.3% | 7.5% | $535,689 | 90.9% |
| 15 | Kind Lending, LLC | — | 6,409 | 26.0% | 5.6% | $430,590 | 72.7% |
Source: 2025 HMDA originations, FFIEC/CFPB. FHA/VA = share of each lender's California loans. *Approval = originated ÷ (originated + denied); it mirrors a lender's channel and borrower mix, not how hard it is to qualify.
Also among the 25 lenders with the most HMDA filings here: Newrez, Figure Lending LLC, Freedom Mortgage, Lakeview Loan Servicing, Coastal Community Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, Guaranteed Rate (Rate), Citibank, National Association, Mr. Cooper, New American Funding.
FHA lenders in California
40,141 FHA home-purchase loans were made in California in 2025 by 287 lenders. The typical FHA buyer here paid $17,102 in loan costs, including the 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium, at a median rate of 6.125%. The ten lenders that made the most:
| # | Lender | FHA purchases | Share | Loan costs | APR vs benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Wholesale Mortgage | 7,132 | 17.8% | $17,932 | +0.28 |
| 2 | Rocket Mortgage | 2,196 | 5.5% | $16,942 | +0.19 |
| 3 | Ocmbc, Inc. | 1,604 | 4.0% | $18,913 | +0.46 |
| 4 | Kind Lending, LLC | 1,549 | 3.9% | $16,129 | +0.37 |
| 5 | Lennar Mortgage | 1,408 | 3.5% | $15,391 | −0.98 |
| 6 | DHI Mortgage | 1,319 | 3.3% | $13,092 | −1.01 |
| 7 | loanDepot | 1,071 | 2.7% | $16,243 | +0.12 |
| 8 | Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. | 1,032 | 2.6% | $17,729 | +0.52 |
| 9 | Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. | 986 | 2.5% | $16,642 | +0.40 |
| 10 | CrossCountry Mortgage | 854 | 2.1% | $18,248 | +0.52 |
| All California FHA buyers | 40,141 | 100% | $17,102 | +0.33 |
Among them, DHI Mortgage had the lowest median loan costs ($13,092) and Ocmbc, Inc. the highest ($18,913) — $5,821 apart on similar loans, which is why a second Loan Estimate is worth getting. Homebuilder-owned lenders can show far-below-market APRs because builders pay to buy down the rate on their own new homes.
Source: 2025 HMDA loan-level records (FFIEC/CFPB), first-lien FHA home purchases in California. Costs and APR vs benchmark are medians of each lender's 30-year fixed loans here; "—" = fewer than 30. How these figures are built.
VA lenders in California
15,377 VA home-purchase loans were made in California in 2025 by 264 lenders. The typical VA buyer here paid $8,827 in loan costs (including the VA funding fee for borrowers who owe it) at a median rate of 6.124%. The ten lenders that made the most:
| # | Lender | VA purchases | Share | Loan costs | APR vs benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Wholesale Mortgage | 2,613 | 17.0% | $7,766 | −0.46 |
| 2 | Veterans United | 1,908 | 12.4% | $6,568 | −0.41 |
| 3 | Rocket Mortgage | 781 | 5.1% | $9,648 | −0.51 |
| 4 | Navy Federal Credit Union | 570 | 3.7% | $6,419 | −0.61 |
| 5 | PennyMac | 546 | 3.6% | $11,381 | −0.52 |
| 6 | Lennar Mortgage | 497 | 3.2% | $5,903 | −1.63 |
| 7 | CrossCountry Mortgage | 485 | 3.2% | $9,816 | −0.29 |
| 8 | Newrez | 457 | 3.0% | $11,853 | −0.39 |
| 9 | loanDepot | 377 | 2.5% | $14,076 | −0.58 |
| 10 | DHI Mortgage | 320 | 2.1% | $5,389 | −1.85 |
| All California VA buyers | 15,377 | 100% | $8,827 | −0.46 |
Among them, DHI Mortgage had the lowest median loan costs ($5,389) and loanDepot the highest ($14,076) — $8,687 apart, though VA costs also depend on how many of a lender's borrowers are exempt from the funding fee.
Source: 2025 HMDA loan-level records (FFIEC/CFPB), first-lien VA home purchases in California. Costs and APR vs benchmark are medians of each lender's 30-year fixed loans here; "—" = fewer than 30. Data notes and limits.
How concentrated is the California market?
1,122 institutions reported California home-loan records for 2025 — the 9th-most of any state. The single most active lender accounts for 6.9% of all records and the top five for 23.3%, the 21st-most concentrated market of 51. With volume spread across many lenders, there is plenty of room to shop beyond the biggest names.
How to choose a lender in California
California borrowers took FHA loans 10.7% of the time and VA loans 5.0% (U.S. 13.2% and 8.2%). Buying near $832,750 or above? 17 California counties have a higher conforming limit, so check which side of the jumbo line your county puts you on before comparing quotes.
Get Loan Estimates from three or more lenders in the same two-week window (one credit inquiry) and compare APRs. For down-payment help, ask whether they are approved for CalHFA's MyHome Assistance or California Dream For All — only participating lenders can offer them (terms and sources).
California checks: DFPI or DRE, and where complaints go
California splits mortgage licensing between two departments. The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) licenses residential mortgage lenders and servicers under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, and California Finance Lenders. The Department of Real Estate (DRE) licenses mortgage brokers and real estate brokers and salespersons, and gives real estate licensees who originate loans an MLO license endorsement. Either way, the loan officer’s record is in NMLS, so NMLS Consumer Access shows which license a person or company holds.
Where a complaint goes depends on the license. DFPI’s complaint page takes complaints about California residential mortgage lenders and finance lenders, but it sends national banks, naming Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, to the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Five of California’s 25 most active lenders are national banks: Chase, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Citibank. A problem with a real estate broker or salesperson goes to DRE.
CalHFA loans come only through approved loan officers
CalHFA does not lend money directly. Its 30-year fixed first mortgages (FHA, VA, USDA and conventional) and its MyHome down-payment loan are made through private lenders whose loan officers CalHFA has approved and trained. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan of up to 3.5% of the price or appraised value, whichever is less, with a CalHFA FHA loan, or up to 3% with a CalHFA conventional loan.
To find a loan officer, CalHFA points to its preferred loan officer directory and a lender database of branch offices, and warns that not every branch has a loan officer trained on its loans. In the copy of that database we checked (July 10, 2026), nine of the ten biggest FHA purchase lenders in California appear, among them United Wholesale Mortgage, OCMBC, Kind Lending and Lennar Mortgage. So do U.S. Bank, Newrez, Guaranteed Rate (Rate) and New American Funding, from the state’s 25 most active lenders. Ask any lender you talk to whether its loan officer is CalHFA-approved before you apply.
California-based lenders, and the home-equity lenders in the ranking
Nine of the 25 most active lenders in California are headquartered in the state. California mortgage companies also hold five of the ten biggest FHA purchase spots: OCMBC (Irvine, 3rd), Kind Lending (Irvine, 4th), loanDepot (Irvine, 7th), Paramount Residential Mortgage Group (Corona, 8th) and Golden Empire Mortgage (Bakersfield, 9th).
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union ranked 9th by records and originated 14,224 home loans in 2025, behind only United Wholesale Mortgage, Rocket Mortgage, Bank of America and U.S. Bank. Golden 1 Credit Union of Sacramento ranked 25th. Credit unions lend to members, so check whether you can join before you compare their quotes.
Spring EQ (8th), Figure Lending (10th) and Coastal Community Bank (15th) rank high on volume, but at least 89% of each one’s California HMDA records in 2025 were second liens such as home equity loans and lines. They are not the lenders to compare for a purchase mortgage or a first-lien refinance.
| Lender | Based in | Type | Rank | 2025 records | FHA purchase rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PennyMac | Westlake Village, CA | Nonbank lender | 5 | 34,071 | — |
| SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union | Santa Ana, CA | Credit union | 9 | 19,194 | — |
| Wells Fargo | San Francisco, CA | Bank | 12 | 16,714 | — |
| loanDepot | Irvine, CA | Nonbank lender | 13 | 16,655 | 7 |
| The Loan Store | San Francisco, CA | Nonbank lender | 21 | 12,791 | — |
| New American Funding | Tustin, CA | Nonbank lender | 22 | 12,478 | — |
| OCMBC | Irvine, CA | Nonbank lender | 23 | 12,284 | 3 |
| AmeriHome Mortgage | Thousand Oaks, CA | Nonbank lender | 24 | 11,788 | — |
| Golden 1 Credit Union | Sacramento, CA | Credit union | 25 | 11,609 | — |
| Kind Lending | Irvine, CA | Nonbank lender | — | — | 4 |
| Paramount Residential Mortgage Group | Corona, CA | Nonbank lender | — | — | 8 |
| Golden Empire Mortgage | Bakersfield, CA | Nonbank lender | — | — | 9 |
Rank = position among the 25 lenders with the most California HMDA records in 2025; FHA purchase rank = position among the ten biggest California FHA home-purchase lenders in 2025; "—" = outside those lists. Headquarters from our lender profiles or the lender's GLEIF legal-entity record (linked).
Facts in the California sections above were checked November 6, 2026 against these sources: DRE — California real estate and financial services license list; DRE — SAFE Act/MLO; DRE — filing a complaint; DFPI — about the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; DFPI — submit a complaint; CalHFA — homebuyer loan programs; CalHFA — FHA program; CalHFA — find a loan officer; CalHFA — lender database (archived July 10, 2026); HMDA: Spring EQ, California records by lien status; HMDA: Figure Lending, California records by lien status; HMDA: Coastal Community Bank, California records by lien status. Agency lender lists, program terms and rules change often — confirm with the agency or lender before you rely on them.
California lender FAQ
Who is the biggest mortgage lender in California?
By 2025 federal HMDA data, United Wholesale Mortgage originated the most home loans in California — about 57,281, or 10.0% of the state's originations.
Which lender makes the most FHA loans in California?
United Wholesale Mortgage made the most FHA home-purchase loans in California in 2025 — 7,132, or 17.8% of the 40,141 FHA purchases made by 287 lenders. Rocket Mortgage (2,196) was second.
Which lender makes the most VA loans in California?
United Wholesale Mortgage made the most VA home-purchase loans in California in 2025 (2,613, 17.0% of the state's VA purchases). VA loans were 5.0% of California originations, the 9th-lowest VA share among the states.
How much are closing costs on an FHA loan in California?
The typical California FHA buyer in 2025 paid $17,102 in total loan costs on a median $485,000 loan — lender fees, required third-party services and the 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium, per the Closing Disclosure.
That figure excludes recording taxes, prepaid interest and insurance, escrow deposits and the down payment.
Who licenses mortgage brokers and lenders in California?
Two state departments. DFPI licenses residential mortgage lenders and servicers under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, and California Finance Lenders. DRE licenses mortgage brokers and real estate brokers and issues the MLO license endorsement to real estate licensees who originate loans.
DRE’s license list puts banks and credit unions under DFPI as well, but DFPI refers complaints about national banks to the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. NMLS Consumer Access shows which license a loan officer or company holds.
How do I get a CalHFA loan?
Through an approved loan officer at a private lender: CalHFA does not lend directly. Its first mortgages are 30-year fixed FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loans, and borrowers must meet CalHFA income limits.
At least one first-time borrower on each loan must complete homebuyer education and counseling; the only online course CalHFA accepts is eHome’s eight-hour course ($100), or you can take it in person or virtually through NeighborWorks America or a HUD-approved counseling agency.
Rankings are editorial and independent, built from public federal data — no lender pays to be listed. This is general information, not a recommendation or personalized advice. Confirm all terms directly with the lender.
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