Marcus HillRenting is fun when you’re young, but once you decide to settle down, purchasing your dream home is a logical next step.
The thing is, we don’t all have hundreds of thousands of dollars in our bank accounts. If you’re an average employee like me, you’ll most likely need a loan to secure that dream house.
But all these loan processes can be tough to navigate, especially with a low credit score. That’s when mortgage brokers come in, who will assist you and find the most competitive rates that are realistically possible to pay for each month.
Here are our picks for the best mortgage brokers in Charlotte so you can finally afford your dream home! Read on!
How much does a mortgage broker charge in Charlotte?
A mortgage broker in Charlotte typically charges the lender 1% to 2% of the loan amount. It’s important to know the exact percentage to avoid surprises.
1. Leverage Lending Group
Best For: Fast and streamlined process for any homebuyer
Address: 216 N McDowell St # 200
Contact: (704) 631-9276, [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5 pm
A fast process is highly attractive when getting a loan for a mortgage in Charlotte, which is exactly what Leverage Lending Group provides. They’ve been in business for almost two decades, and over the years, they’ve closed over $900 million in loans.
They’re also ideal for every type of homebuyer, whether you’re purchasing your first home or investing in real estate. The services they offer are vast, such as FHA loans for competitive interest rates and jumbo loans for buyers who need higher limits.
It’s the quick process that hooked us the most, but a couple of hiccups in miscommunication can happen during busy days. It’s not like the process will be delayed, though, and they still respond outside of their work hours.
Their mortgage brokers are known for their streamlined process, and we agree. They can get you fully funded in just 30 days, which many borrowers have experienced, as long as your documents are complete.
We also appreciate their online tools to make the process quicker, as these can give you an idea of your mortgage details, from the interest rate to the amortization period.
The responsiveness was exceptional
“The Leverage Lending Team is excellent. From start to finish, their responsiveness throughout our mortgage process was exceptional. We especially appreciated how much time they took to educate us on all the different loan options available, making a complex process easy to understand and navigate. We strongly recommend them.”
-Austin Hughes, Google Review
Always responsive at all hours
“As a first time homebuyer, Angelo and his team couldn’t have made the entire process any more seamless and easy. They were always very responsive at all hours, extremely knowledgeable and always happy to answer any questions we had. I couldn’t imagine working with any other group in the future. Thank you Angelo and your team for making our first experience a great one. I highly recommend Leverage Lending Group!”
-Brian Scudder, Google Review
2. 1st Advantage Mortgage
Best For: North and South Carolina home buying
Address: 128 S Tryon St, Suite 1933
Contact: (704) 343-8681, [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8 am – 8 pm
1st Advantage Mortgage covers home loans in North and South Carolina, making them accessible for buyers and investors purchasing properties outside Charlotte. Although they were only established for a couple of years, they still managed to impress us.
The loan options they offer are pretty vast for a young company, such as conventional loans for buyers with a high credit score, FHA loans for lower-income borrowers, and investment property loans for those who want to invest in real estate.
We don’t doubt their experience, but there were a few bumps in communication, particularly regarding changes during the mortgage loan process. These were inconvenient, but we appreciate that their mortgage brokers take accountability.
They’re still responsive, anyway, and even their office is open on weekends (that’s not common for mortgage brokers). Plus, their brokers are competent throughout, so much so that their clients noted the fast process, from application to closing.
Best home-buying experience anyone could ask for
“My wife and I had to best home buying experience anyone could ask for, I can’t recommend these guys enough. Michael Vittatoe is a professional, efficient, incredibly kind, and helpful person to get you through the home buying experience. He was always there for every question we had and even went so far as to help with silly things I couldn’t figure out like converting files we needed on our end. They got us an amazing realtor, CJ, who was just as professional and kind as Michael. We were able to negotiate a great price and amazing rate so that we can start our family. Thank you guys so much for everything you did. If you’re thinking about buying a home seriously give these guys a call.”
-Jordan Waters, Google Review
Made the whole mortgage process way less stressful
“Working with 1st advantage mortgage was such a good experience! They made the whole mortgage process way less stressful than I expected. Super easy to talk to, always quick to answer my questions, and they explained everything in a way that actually made sense. I never felt pressured, just supported the whole time. Thanks to them I got a great rate and felt confident about the whole process. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for someone who really cares and makes things simple.”
-Madison Schmidt, Google Review
3. Rosegate Mortgage
Best For: 14-day closing time
Address: 13515 Ballantyne Corporate Place
Contact: (888) 657-6206
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
Any type of homebuyer can check out Rosegate Mortgage, a company in Charlotte that has won several awards for their excellent job. That’s hardly shocking, given their over 30 years of experience in the industry.
All these years have given them plenty of experience and connections, such as a long list of lenders and real estate agents. Plus, it makes them ideal for investors and first-time buyers since the whole loan process will be smooth.
Their process is indeed fast, taking less than three weeks to close the deal. Most clients we talked to attest to this, and some even noted they closed in just two weeks, although that’s after you finish the application process, which can be quite slow at times.
It’s not a regular occurrence, though. Most borrowers applauded their mortgage brokers for responding to queries quickly, being professional, and giving them competitive rates, even with a less-than-stellar credit score.
Always a phone call/text away
“We worked with Sean and his team while purchasing our first home. He was always a phone call/ text away when we had questions or concerns. We feel so lucky to have had him working with us, he explained the whole process and made it very easy for us.”
-Sara Moreno, Google Review
Awesome to work with
“The entire Rosegate team was knowledgeable, friendly, and awesome to work with! Michael Whitaker was incredible. This was our first home purchase and he never pressured us and we always felt he had our family’s best interest in mind. His whole team (Jaime and Alyssa) was super prompt and made the entire daunting process simple and easy. I’d wholeheartedly recommend Michael and Rosegate to anyone searching for a mortgage.”
-Ryan Eber, Google Review
4. Mecklenburg Mortgage
Best For: Personalized service
Address: 828 East Blvd #301
Contact: (704) 859-8465
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
If there’s one thing we like about Mecklenburg Mortgage, it’s the personalized service. They’re very thorough with their services and provide flexible solutions to ensure every borrower they work with can find the best loan option, from conventional to refinancing.
Their local expertise also stood out, which gives them an edge because they know the ins and outs of the mortgage loan process and real estate market in Charlotte. In addition, they’re ideal for any homebuyer, especially those looking for low interest rates.
To give you an example, their mortgage brokers have consistently delivered competitive rates. During our surveys, the majority of the clients noted that the rates they received were better than what they were expecting.
The whole process has been smooth, but with a small team of mortgage brokers, it can’t be helped that they get swamped with work sometimes. There were a couple of delayed responses, but it’s not like they went radio silent—they’re still efficient, overall.
The king of speed
“Jeff is the king of speed! He helped us refinance our mortgage, got us a great rate, and got the refinancing done in a couple weeks. He always picked up the phone, was happy to walk us through any questions, always had a valuable perspective on things, and was able to communicate financial concepts simply and clearly. Jeff did whatever he could to put us first. Incredible!”
-Sun Kim, Google Review
Professional throughout the process
“I worked with Jeff Muth on my 30-year mortgage, and the experience was excellent. Jeff was knowledgeable, responsive, and professional throughout the process. I especially appreciated how quickly he moved things along and how he presented multiple options for me to consider. I would highly recommend Meck Mortgage to anyone in the market for a new loan or looking to refinance.”
-Kevin Petronis, Google Review
5. Loan Pronto
Best For: Streamlined digital process
Address: 800 Westmere Ave, Suite 300
Contact: (704) 602-2446, [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
What we like most about Loan Pronto is the streamlined process through their 100% digital services. They make things easier and faster by allowing borrowers to submit and sign paperwork completely online, eliminating the commute just to submit a document.
Plus, the digital process gives you a faster online application process and 24-hour access to real-time rates. How fast is the whole thing, you ask? You can close in just two weeks.
But here’s the catch: their email responses could be faster, given their digital services. And while they can find competitive rates, we noticed that compared to other mortgage brokers in Charlotte, they don’t typically bring in the lowest.
They’re still ideal for every type of homebuyer due to their multiple loan options, like conventional loans, USDA loans, and VA loans. What’s more, they offer a loan program for homeowners who need the budget for home improvements.
Overall, they still manage to work fast. Some clients praised their brokers for the stress-free mortgage loan process without delays.
Excellent firm to work with
“Loan Pronto is an excellent firm to work with. Aside from offering some of the lowest rates in the industry, they truly simplify the loan refinance process to make it as streamlined as possible. Furthermore, they offer incredible customer support with individuals who are knowledgeable of the process and attendant to the customer’s needs. If you’re looking to establish a new loan or refinance an existing one, I highly recommend Loan Pronto.”
-JC Taxman, Google Review
Everyone was pleasant
“The experience of working with Bailey and Kaitlyn at pronto Loan was amazing. They kept me notified on any changes and they explained every single detail. The follow-through was impeccable and expedient. On top of all of that everyone was very pleasant. I would recommend everyone to give pronto Loan a chance to help them with their housing needs. I was able to close in less than 30 days. Thanks again for everything.”
-April Imes, Google Review
