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First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders Review 2024

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At a glance

First Federal Bank
NMLS: 408902
Editor's take

Formerly affiliated with BNC National Bank, the First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders team specializes in VA loans, but can help you obtain a conventional, FHA or USDA mortgage as well. The team is based in Kansas, but works with borrowers nationwide.

Bankrate Score
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3.8
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
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Bankrate Score

Customer Rating
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5.0
Rating: 4.96 stars out of 5

73 ratings

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Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing

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Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans

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Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

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Min. down payment

Undisclosed

First Federal Bank overview

Formerly affiliated with BNC National Bank, the First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders team offers a wide range of loan programs but specializes in serving veterans with VA loans, with more than 50 percent of its business coming from the sector.

Pros and cons of First Federal Bank

Pros

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    Specializes in VA loans

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    Will use manual underwriting to work with borrowers who have less-established credit histories

Cons

  • No e-closing option available

  • Limited branch network

How Bankrate scored First Federal Mortgage Lenders

  • Affordability: A key benefit to working with First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders: It doesn’t charge fees on VA loans. To get a rate quote tailored to you, you’ll need to contact the team directly.
  • Availability: The team offers a wide range of loan products to borrowers nationwide.
  • Borrower experience: You’ll be able to complete much of the mortgage process online, but still have the option to consult with a loan officer when needed.

Affordability: 6.8/10

You won’t be able to easily compare First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders’ mortgage rates via its website. You can request a custom quote, however, based on your loan amount, down payment, credit score and other information.

Availability: 10/10

Available to borrowers nationwide, First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders offers conventional and government-backed loans on both home purchases and refinances. Notably, you might be able to get away with a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio as high as 60 percent on some types of loans.

Borrower experience: 5.8/10

The First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders website doesn’t feature a lot of information beyond its loan products, so you’ll need to get in touch to learn more. You can contact the team Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. at 913-647-7000.

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Images courtesy of First Federal Mortgage as of 3/20/2024. Note: Depending on method of contact, your individual credit profile and other circumstances, your experience might differ.

How to apply for a mortgage with First Federal Mortgage Lenders

You can apply for a mortgage with First Federal Mortgage Lenders online or by phone at 913-647-7000. Here are some tips to prepare for the process:

  1. Check your credit report. It’s important to check your credit report before your lender does, in case there are errors that could impact not only whether you get preapproved but also your ability to get the best mortgage rate. Knowing your credit score also helps you decide what type of loan to apply for. If your score is in the very low 600s, for instance, an FHA mortgage might be best for you, as its standards are more lenient than those for conventional loans.

  2. Gather personal and financial documents. With any lender, you must supply documentation about your income, assets and debts. This includes pay stubs and W-2s and account and loan statements.

  3. Provide details about the property. You’ll need to provide the address of the home and submit to an appraisal. (If you’re refinancing, you might or might not need an appraisal.)

Refinancing with First Federal Mortgage Lenders

The First Federal Mortgage Lenders team offers both rate-and-term and cash-out refinancing options. 

Compare mortgage lenders

First Federal Bank
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
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3.8

Bankrate Score
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Bethpage Federal Credit Union
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
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4.9

Bankrate Score
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Read full review
First Mortgage Direct
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
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4.8

Bankrate Score
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Read full review

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, refinancing and more

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing and more

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 500 for FHA loans

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 580 for FHA loans, 580 for VA loans

Down payment

Undisclosed

Down payment

3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans

Down payment

3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans and USDA loans

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

Nationwide availability

Available in all U.S. states except Texas

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders customer ratings and reviews

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NMLS: 408902

5.0

Rating: 4.96 stars out of 5

73 ratings

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This lender has 73 recent reviews.

Knowledge
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
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1 star
96%
4%
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100% of customers would recommend this lender.

of 73 reviews

The consumer reviews posted on Bankrate.com ("Bankrate") are individual, subjective opinions of reviewers, and not of Bankrate. Bankrate does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or any responses to reviews.

Bankrate cannot guarantee or verify the accuracy of the opinions shared by individual reviewers, and reserves the right to reject or remove any review, at any time, for any reason at Bankrate’s sole discretion, including but not limited to those that Bankrate deems inappropriate, fraudulent, invalid, irrelevant, or otherwise outside the parameters of the Bankrate Review Guidelines, the Privacy Policy, or the Terms of Use.

In addition to collecting reviews on-site, Bankrate collaborated with third-party Slice MR to survey 750 homeowners nationwide in July 2024. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented responses to nine questions. Users received an incentive for their feedback. Responses are based on individual experiences, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by lenders, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these lenders.

To help serve you with relevant information, the consumer reviews shown below are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.

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