Guild Mortgage Review for 2024

Guild Mortgage has a wide range of loan products and top-rated customer service. Find out if this is the mortgage lender for you.

Lending flexibility5.0
Customer service4.3
Ease of application3.0
Online experience4.3
Our Score
4.2
Guild Mortgage
Minimum down payment3%
Minimum credit score540
Loan Products Offered

Conventional mortgages
Jumbo mortgages
FHA mortgages
VA mortgages
USDA mortgages
Renovation loans

Best Features

  • Excellent customer service
  • Help for first-time buyers, lower credit, and manufactured home buyers
  • Personal service, online service, or a mix

Drawbacks

  • May not be your cheapest option; make sure to compare rates
  • Doesn't offer home equity loans or HELOCs
  • Not licensed in New Jersey or New York

Overview

The Mortgage Reports may be compensated by some of the mortgage lenders we review. However, this does not affect our review process or the ratings lenders receive. All reviews are created independently by our editorial team. We review products and services from partner lenders as well as lenders we do not work with.

Founded and headquartered in San Diego, California, Guild Mortgage has grown to over 200 branch locations in 43 states.

Likely, that has to do with the company's top-rated service — it received high marks from J.D. Power's 2021 mortgage lender satisfaction study.

Guild Mortgage offers an especially wide range of loan types, so the majority of borrowers should be able to find the mortgage product they need.

Of course, mortgage rates vary by customer. So Guild may or may not give you the best offer. You'll have to compare loan estimates from a few mortgage lenders to find out.


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 MortgageRocket MortgageWells FargoFreedom Mortgage
Avg 30-Yr Interest Rate, 202113.09%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.

Find your lowest mortgage rate. Start here

Guild Mortgage review for 2024

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, 20214Complaints Per 1,000 Mortgages, 20215J.D. Power Satisfaction Score, 20216
Guild Mortgage160.10884/1,000
Rocket Mortgage3760.24876/1,000
Wells Fargo4880.58832/1,000
Freedom Mortgage2620.35829/1,000

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.

Methodology

The Mortgage Reports considers multiple factors when reviewing lenders. These factors include credit and down payment requirements, loan types offered, customer service indicators, and availability of online tools. We then use these factors to rank lenders in four categories:

  • Lending flexibility: Includes the number of loan types offered, special programs offered, minimum down payment requirements, and minimum credit score requirements
  • Customer service: Includes CFPB complaints per 1,000 loans and average rating from other top rating services
  • Ease of application: Includes the availability of an online pre-approval or pre-qualification process
  • Online experience: Includes the robustness of the lender’s online offerings, including online chat availability, phone number availability, and learning center/help center availability
Time to make a move? Let us find the right mortgage for you

Sources:

  1. Average mortgage rates and fees sourced from self-reported data mortgage lenders are required to file under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. Rates and fees shown reflect the previous year’s data and may not align with today’s mortgage rates
  2. Monthly principal and interest payments calculated using TheMortgageReports.com mortgage calculator. Payments shown are based on a $200,000 loan amount and assume a “very good” credit score. Property taxes and homeowners insurance are not included. Your own monthly payment will vary
  3. Number of mortgage originations for the previous year sourced from self-reported data mortgage lenders are required to file under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
  4. CFPB Complaints reflect the number of mortgage origination or closing-related complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the previous year
  5. Complaints per 1000 mortgages reflect the number of official complaints filed against a lender with the CFPB for the previous year, compared to the lender’s total number of mortgage originations for the previous year
  6. JD Power Rating reflects the company’s customer satisfaction score according to JD Power’s most recent Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study. Survey respondents score their lenders in four areas: application/approval process, communication, loan closing, and loan offerings