Guild Mortgage Review for 2022

Guild Mortgage rates

The table below compares average 30-year fixed mortgage rates and lending fees for 2021. Mortgage rates have increased since then, so these likely are not exactly the rates you’ll be quoted. But the data can help you see how competitive Guild Mortgage rates are next to other major lenders.

Average mortgage rates at major lenders

	Guild Mortgage	Rocket Mortgage	Wells Fargo	Freedom Mortgage
Avg 30-Yr Interest Rate, 2021¹	3.09%	3.00%	3.14%	2.66%
Median Total Loan Costs, 2021¹	$5,150	$4,670	$3,600	$3,880
Median Origination Fee, 2021¹	$1,740	$2,430	$1,330	$0

Average rate and fee data sourced from public rate and fee records required by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).

Guild seemed to have a slightly lower rate on average than these other providers, but its loan origination fees were a bit higher.

Of course, loan offers vary by customer. So your rates and fees from Guild could be higher or lower than average. To find out, you’ll need to request a custom Loan Estimate.

Guild Mortgage review for 2022

Guild Mortgage Company has been underwriting home loans since 1960, making it one of the oldest independent mortgage companies in America.

Guild’s success seems to be built on customer satisfaction and loyalty. It scores very highly there, coming first in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study.

It’s hard not to like a company that inspires such loyalty in its customers. And it helps that Guild seems to go out of its way to help applicants who might be turned down by other lenders.

Help for first time home buyers

Guild Mortgage cooperates with over 500 down payment assistance programs (DPAs). These are special grants and loans that offer extra money towards your down payment and/or closing costs, often allowing those with lower savings to achieve homeownership.

DPA programs are often geared toward first-time home buyers. But you don’t always need to be a first-timer to access them. Some are available to repeat homebuyers who haven’t owned a home in the past three years, as well.

Guild Mortgage credit score requirements

Guild’s credit score thresholds are slightly lower than some other major lenders. It requires:

540 for FHA and USDA loans: Backed by the Federal Housing Administration or the US Department of Agriculture
620 for some other types of mortgages: Though your score will need to be higher if you want a jumbo loan or an ultra-low rate

Guild doesn’t publish the credit score needed to qualify for a VA loan. Many other mortgage providers require a 580 score, but you’ll need to speak with a Guild loan officer to confirm.

Guild Mortgage may also take into account “alternative” credit information — like on-time payments for rent, utility bills, and other expenses that don’t typically make it onto credit reports. That means it might be able to help people who make payments responsibly but haven’t borrowed enough in the past to build up a robust credit score on the FICO scale.

Working with Guild Mortgage

Guild is not licensed to lend in New Jersey or New York. But customers in the other 48 states and Washington D.C. are welcome to apply.

Guild offers the full spectrum of customer service options, from in-person service to a fully online experience. It even provides resources and tools, including calculators to estimate your mortgage payments or to forecast your likelihood of prequalification.

When you start out on the company’s website, you have two options. You can find a loan officer near you or begin an online application.

If you choose to apply online, you’re able to:

Save your part-completed application and come back to it later
Securely upload loan documents
Track your application’s progress
E-sign your closing documents remotely, using what Guild calls its eClose option (availability depending on your state’s law)

You might even be able to get your mortgage without needing any in-person service whatsoever.

If you prefer a more traditional mortgage application process, you’ll start with an initial phone conversation with a loan officer. There’s a lookup tool on the lender’s website to help you find one.

There’s a good chance you’ll prefer a blend of those two. Maybe you want to chat with a loan officer and make your application online. Or complete an application in a branch and then upload your documents. You get to choose.

Homebuyer Express (“HBE”): 17 day closing guarantee

Guild Mortgage is so confident in the efficiency of its people and systems that it offers applicants confidence that the loan will be closed in a timely manner.

Providing your new home has been under contract for at least 17 days prior to the scheduled closing, you stand to be reimbursed $500 in closing costs if Guild delays loan closing. But check the lender’s website for terms and conditions.

Guild Mortgage customer service reviews

You’ll already have gathered that Guild’s great strength is its customer service. And recent data backs that up.

Customer service reviews at major lenders

	CFPB Complaints, 2021⁴	Complaints Per 1,000 Mortgages, 2021⁵	J.D. Power Satisfaction Score, 2021⁶
Guild Mortgage	16	0.10	884/1,000
Rocket Mortgage	376	0.24	876/1,000
Wells Fargo	488	0.58	832/1,000
Freedom Mortgage	262	0.35	829/1,000

Along with a strong J.D. Power survey score, it has an A+ rating from the BBB and has very few customer complaints registered with federal regulator The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Mortgage loan products at Guild

Guild Mortgage offers a broad range of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. These include:

Conventional loans: This loan program conforms to loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are currently $ in most areas of the country. In some instances, borrowers can qualify for a conventional mortgage with as little as 3% down payment and a FICO score of 620
FHA loans: For when your credit score is too low for a conventional loan. You can put as little as 3.5% down
USDA loans: Allow 0% down for low- to moderate-income borrowers in eligible rural and suburban areas
VA loans: Eligible veterans and service members can get a VA home loan with 0% down and exceptionally low rates
Jumbo loan: These loans exceed the conforming loan limit for an area, allowing buyers to borrow loan amounts in the millions for a new home or refinance
Fixed-rate loans: A fixed-rate mortgage locks in your interest rate for the entire loan period. Guild Mortgage offers loan terms ranging from 10 to 30 years
Adjustable-rate mortgages: ARMs have an interest rate that’s locked for the first 5, 7, or 10 years. After that, your mortgage rate floats with the market
Renovation loans: For when you want to make upgrades to your home
Reverse mortgages: When you’re 62 years or older and want to access some of your home equity to enhance your retirement. Zero monthly payments
MH Advantage: A loan option that allows you to buy a manufactured home

That large portfolio means there’s a high chance of Guild being able to assist you. However, investors in the market for a real estate investment loan will need to look elsewhere for financing.

Refinancing with Guild Mortgage

Homeowners interested in lowering their monthly mortgage payments or tapping their home equity have a few refinance loan options available to them at Guild, including cash-out refinancing and rate-and-term refinance loans.

Refinancing involves replacing your current mortgage with a new one. It can reduce your mortgage rate and monthly payment, and modify other terms of your original loan. But you’ll need to pay another round of lender fees.

Guild doesn’t advertise its refinance rates or closing costs on its website. Homeowners will need to reach out to a loan officer for more information.

Where can I get a mortgage with Guild?

You can apply for a Guild mortgage in 48 states and Washington D.C. However, New York and New Jersey residents will need to secure financing elsewhere.

Guild also has branch locations and offices in 43 states across America. That sounds like a lot, but with such a large landmass, many borrowers will find the locations are too far from home for in-person visits.

If your home is a long way from your nearest branch or satellite office, you can use the phone or internet to conduct business.

Is Guild Mortgage the best lender for you?

The only real drawback we found about Guild Mortgage is that you have to apply to get an idea of its rates — so you can’t compare it to other lenders at a glance.

However, applying is the best way to see your real rate anyway. Advertised rates assume excellent credit and a big down payment, so they’re misleading for many borrowers.

Guild doesn’t do a hard credit pull right away, so checking rates won’t hurt your score.

But remember to compare personalized rates from a few other lenders, too. That’s the only way to truly know which is the best mortgage lender for your home purchase loan.