NFM Lending Review: A Baltimore Area Mortgage Lender That Bridges the Gap Between Online and In-Touch

Today we’ll check out “NFM Lending,” a Baltimore area mortgage lender that has been around since the 20th century.

Also known as “America’s Common Sense Lender,” NFM believes every home loan transaction should start with a conversation to get to know the client’s unique financial situation.

They are also an Earth-conscious lender with a company-wide green initiative to be as paperless as possible.

This means your mortgage experience should be tech-driven and streamlined, instead of involving stacks of paperwork. However, they still offer the human touch.

Perhaps more importantly, they say they offer a reliable home loan experience, which means you should be able to count on them to get you to the finish line. Let’s learn more.

NFM Lending Fast Facts

A direct-to-consumer, retail mortgage lender
Offers home purchase loans, refis, construction loans, and more
Founded in 1998, headquartered in Linthicum, MD
Currently licensed in 47 states and the District of Columbia
Funded $8.5 billion in home loans last year
Roughly one quarter of their volume comes from Maryland
Also very active in Virginia, D.C., Arizona, and California
Several other brands operate under NFM including Main Street Home Loans, Bluprint Home Loans, Freedmont Mortgage Group, and Elevate Home Loans

NFM Lending is a retail, direct-to-consumer mortgage lender located in Linthicum, Maryland, which is a Baltimore suburb.

The company got its start way back in 1998 when David and Sandy Silverman were operating with just four loan originators.

Today, the company has about 300 loan officers and funds nearly $10 billion annually, making them one of the larger home loan lenders in the country.

The NFM brand also includes a family of smaller companies, including Main Street Home Loans, Bluprint Home Loans, Freedmont Mortgage Group, and Elevate Home Loans.

Because they have brick-and-mortar branches, you have the option to work with a local loan officer or keep things remote via their website.

At the moment, they’re licensed to do business in 47 states nationwide, along with Washington D.C.

They are a top-20 mortgage lender in their home state of Maryland, and one of the largest residential mortgage lenders in nearby Virginia too.

More than 40% of their loan volume came from those two states last year, though they’re also quite active as far west as Arizona and California.

They do a near-equal split of home purchase loans and mortgage refinances, making them a suitable choice for a home buyer or an existing homeowner.

The company’s NFM C.A.R.E.S. program gives back to communities, improving the lives of children, troops/veterans, and animals nationwide.

How to Apply with NFM Lending

To begin, you can visit a local branch to discuss loan options/apply in person, or simply navigate to their website.

Once online, you can browse their loan originator directory to find someone to work with, or just click on “Apply Now.”

As noted, they pride themselves on being a paperless lender, so much of the loan process can be conducted via smartphone or computer from anywhere.

That includes the mortgage application itself, along with the eSigning of disclosures, asset importing, and the uploading of paperwork with bank statements and other supporting documents.

However, they recommend speaking with a licensed loan officer first to determine your needs.

From there, you can obtain loan pricing and figure out what loan program works best for your situation.

Prospective home buyers can also generate a mortgage pre-approval in minutes to show home sellers they mean business.

They pride themselves on communicating with their clients throughout the loan process, including the receipt of real-time notifications as you progress to closing.

All in all, they combine the best of tech and human elements to guide customers through the loan process with ease.

Loan Programs Offered by NFM Lending

Home purchase loans
Renovation loans
Construction loans
Mortgage refinances: rate and term, cash out, streamline
Conforming loans
Jumbo loans
FHA loans
VA loans
USDA loans
Non-QM loans: bank statement and asset qualifying

NFM Lending has a loan program to fit just about any situation, whether you’re a first-time home buyer, a doctor, first responder, or credit-challenged.

They’ve got home purchase loans, mortgage refinances, renovation loans like the popular FHA 203k program, and even construction loans.

The entire suite of government-backed home loans is available, including FHA, VA, and USDA loans.

Additionally, they offer high balance and jumbo loans if you need an extra-large loan amount.

Lastly, they’ve got solutions for non-traditional borrowers such as bank statement programs, investor cash flow, asset qualifying, and options for “just missed” situations.

They lend on all property types, including single-family homes, condos/townhomes, and multi-unit investment properties.

NFM Lending Rates

Unfortunately, NFM Lending does not post their daily mortgage rates on their website. This makes it difficult to determine their pricing competitiveness.

The only way to know if their interest rates are higher or lower than other lenders is to reach out for a quote.

This is probably your best first move in general before you formally apply. Be sure to also take note of any lender fees, such as an application or loan origination fee.

Once you’ve got all these details, you can compare their quoted mortgage APR to other banks and mortgage brokers to see where they stand.

If the price is right, you can move forward knowing they are well regarded and offer the latest mortgage technology.

NFM Lending Reviews

Over at Experience.com, NFM Lending has an excellent 4.89-star rating from roughly 33,000 customer reviews.

On Zillow, they have an even more spectacular 4.96-star rating out of 5 from more than 3,300 reviews.

They’ve also got a 4.9-star rating on Google from about 400 reviews, along with a 4.3-star rating on Facebook from roughly 50 reviews.

They have been accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2019, and currently hold an ‘A+’ rating based on complaint history.

Additionally, they have a 4.6/5 rating on the BBB website from more than 130 customer reviews.

NFM Lending has received a ton of awards over the years, many related to being a top workplace. As I always say, happy employees typically make happy customers.

To sum things up, I’d say this company’s strength is reliability and customer service.

That should translate to a happy home loan experience, and more importantly one in which your loan actually funds!

NFM seems to excel in both home purchase and refinance transactions, so they could be a good option for buyers and existing owners.

Just take the time to shop around to ensure their pricing is competitive with other banks, lenders, and brokers.

NFM Lending Pros and Cons

The Good Stuff

Can apply for a home loan online or at a branch
Employ a digital, paperless loan process (a green lender)
Tons of loan programs to choose from including non-QM
Excellent customer reviews across all ratings websites
A+ BBB rating, accredited business
Bilingual website (English and Spanish)
Free mortgage calculators and how-to guides online

The Maybe Not

Aren’t licensed in Hawaii or New York
Do not publicize mortgage rates or fees online