Skip to Main Content

First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders Review 2025

Bankrate logo

The Bankrate promise

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for .

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. You might consider this lender for a mortgage if you are a veteran, active-duty or surviving spouse.

Bankrate Score
Info Icon
4.4
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon

Bankrate Score

Customer Rating
Info Icon
5.0
Rating: 4.96 stars out of 5

73 ratings

Mortgage Percent Icon

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing

Credit Good Icon

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans

Location Icon

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

Dollar Coin Icon

Min. down payment

3% for conventional loans

First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders Overview

Established in 1990, First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders is headquartered in Kansas but is licensed to lend nationwide. The bank has helped over 40,000 families buy homes and is also one of the top VA loan lenders nationwide. In addition to VA loans, First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders offers conventional and jumbo loans and other government-backed mortgages. You can also refinance a mortgage with the lender.

Pros and cons of First Federal Bank

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Specializes in VA loans

  • Checkmark Icon

    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 Bank Mortgage Lenders

Affordability: 5/5

Because First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders offers competitive interest rates, the lender scored 5 out of 5 stars for affordability.

  • Interest rates: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders reported mortgage rates well below Bankrate's national average at the time of this writing.
  • Down payment: The lender offers conventional loans that can be had for just 3 percent down and FHA loans that require 3.5 percent down. You can also get a VA loan or a USDA loan with no down payment.
  • Fees: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders generally does not charge lender fees on VA loans in most cases. The bank does charge $1,095 in lender fees for conventional and FHA loans.
  • Closing costs: The lender's website does not disclose closing costs, but they typically cost between 2 and 5 percent of the total loan amount.

Availability: 5/5

With a wide selection of loan options and nationwide coverage, First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders scored 5 out of 5 stars for availability.

  • Products offered: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders offers a variety of mortgage options, including conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo and adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans. You can also browse many mortgage refinance options.
  • Footprint: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders operates nationwide.
  • Where to find: You can begin the mortgage application process with the lender online or in person at a branch location.  

Borrower experience: 4.3/5

This lender scored 4.3 out of 5 stars for borrower experience because it lists rates online, but you must submit contact information before receiving a personalized quote.

  • Application and preapproval process: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders offers a mobile-friendly online application process via its website. The lender also promises a nearly immediate response to applications submitted during business hours. Applications submitted outside business hours can expect a response the next business day. 
  • Transparency: First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders displays mortgage rates on its website, however, you must submit contact information to receive a custom quote. 
  • Customer service: You can contact the lender by phone, email, text message, online form or online chat. In addition, you can make an appointment to speak with a loan officer in person. Customer service representatives can be reached Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at 913-647-7000.

Here’s what your experience with First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders might look like:

Caret Down Icon

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.

First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders reputation

First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders was not ranked in J.D. Power's most recent mortgage origination satisfaction study for 2024. At the time of this review, the lender does not appear to have a Better Business Bureau profile.

Refinancing with First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders

The First Federal Mortgage Lenders team offers a variety of refinancing options including those for conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo or USDA loans. You can also do a cash-out refinance with the lender. To learn about refinance rates, you'll need to contact the lender.

How to apply for a mortgage with First Federal Bank Mortgage Lenders

You can apply for a mortgage with First Federal Mortgage Lenders online, in person 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 a home appraisal. (If you’re refinancing, you might or might not need an appraisal.)
Lightbulb Icon
Bankrate insights

Learn more about how to choose the right mortgage lender with these six tips.

Compare mortgage lenders

First Federal Bank
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon

4.4

Bankrate Score
Info Icon
Bethpage Federal Credit Union
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon

4.9

Bankrate Score
Info Icon
Read full review
First Mortgage Direct
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon
  • Star Empty Icon

4.6

Bankrate Score
Info Icon
Read full review

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing

Loans offered

Conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, 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

3% for conventional loans

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

logo

NMLS: 408902

5.0

Rating: 4.96 stars out of 5

73 ratings

Info Icon

This lender has 64 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
2 stars
1 star
96%
4%
0%
0%
0%

100% of customers would recommend this lender.

of 64 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. Submissions with user ratings that are materially inconsistent with written sentiment have been removed. 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.

Search Icon
Caret Down Icon