What's a good rate for you in NC? Update your credit score to find out
A good rate for a primary, single-family home in for , and credit score is:
Histogram showing 3 data points from 5.98% to 6.57%. Use Tab to navigate between segments, and Enter to select a bar.
found 91 lenders for you—rates updated Jan 8, 2026
Rates updated Jan 8, 2026
Insights
Negotiate everything—rates, fees, and terms are not set in stone.
George RobinsonTrueRate Data ScientistLenders with low rates in NC
TrueRate analyzed the rates lenders actually gave to buyers for the last three years and found only 8 lenders likely to get you a good deal.
| Lender | Lender fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | No lender feesHighly rated | Highly rated | |
 | $0-$1095Highly rated | Highly rated | |
 | $600Below average | Below average | |
 | $850Mixed | Mixed | |
 | $900Mixed to positive | Mixed to positive | |
 | $995Mixed reviews | Mixed reviews | |
Insights
Negotiate everything—rates, fees, and terms are not set in stone.
George RobinsonTrueRate Data ScientistLenders in NC likely to have high rates
We don’t accept advertising, so you can get the real lender story. TrueRate looked at 91 lenders and found that these 3 are likely to offer you a high rate.
| Lender | Lender fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | $1899Mixed reviews | Mixed reviews | |
 | $1565Mixed reviews | Mixed reviews | |
 | $1490Mixed | Mixed |
Insights
Whether a lender has high margins or is simply inefficient and passing their costs on to you, the result is the same—you’ll likely end up paying more for your home. Our data shows that if you choose these lenders you will likely regret it.
George RobinsonTrueRate Data ScientistLenders with average rates in NC
You deserve better than what these 80 lenders historically provide.
- AAFMAA Mortgage Services LLC
- Advance Financial Group, LLC
- American Financing Corporation
- American Neighborhood Mortgage
- American Pacific Mortgage Corp
- Benchmark Mortgage
- Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group
- Atlantic Coast Mortgage, LLC
- Atlantic Union Bank
- Bank of England
- Bayshore Mortgage Funding
- Bell Bank
- BOK Financial (BOKF, NA)
- CalCon Mutual Mortgage LLC
- Capital Bank, N.A.
- CMG Mortgage Inc.
- Coastal Federal Credit Union
- Compass Mortgage, Inc.
- CIMG Residential Mortgage
- CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC
- Digital Federal Credit Union
- Direct Mortgage Loans
- East Coast Capital
- Encompass Lending Group, L.P.
- Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp
- FBC Mortgage, LLC
- First Community Mortgage
- First Heritage Mortgage, LLC
- First Home Mortgage
- First United Bank and Trust Company
- Gateway First Bank
- GMFS, LLC
- Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group
- GoPrime Mortgage, Inc.
- Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC
- Guaranteed Rate, Inc.
- Highlands Residential Mortgage
- Homeowners Financial Group, LLC
- Homeside Financial, LLC
- Homestead Funding Corp.
- Huntington National Bank
- Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation
- Intercoastal Mortgage, LLC
- Ixonia Bank
- LeaderOne Financial Corp.
- Mason-McDuffie Mortgage Corporation
- Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
- Mortgage Equity Partners LLC
- Mutual of Omaha Mortgage
- Nation One Mortgage Corporation
- Nations Lending Corporation
- NFM, Inc
- Northpointe Bank
- On Q Financial, Inc.
- Planet Home Lending, LLC
- Presidential Bank, FSB
- PrimeLending
- Princeton Mortgage Corporation
- Radius Financial Group Inc
- SeaTrust Mortgage Company
- Southern Trust Mortgage, LLC
- Success Mortgage Partners, Inc
- Summit Funding, Inc
- Sunflower Bank, N.A.
- SWBC Mortgage Corporation
- Synergy One Lending
- TD Bank
- The Federal Savings Bank
- The Fidelity Bank
- Tidewater Mortgage Services, Inc.
- TJC Mortgage Inc
- Towne Mortgage, LLC
- Towne Mortgage of the Carolinas LLC
- TowneBank
- United Community Bank
- US Mortgage Corporation
- Van Dyk Mortgage Corporation
- Victorian Finance, LLC
- Watermark Capital, Inc.
- Waterstone Mortgage Corporation
Don’t let lenders pull a fast one on you
Learn how really low rates often come with hidden fees. Drag the slider to see how rates and fees are connected.
Insights
Insights by James McTernanTomo Mortgage Loan Advisor - NMLS #1112719TrueRate report
Buying a home shouldn’t feel impossible—see what’s driving buyer stress in 2025.
What is TrueRate by Tomo Mortgage?
TrueRate is a tool for homebuyers, created by Tomo Mortgage. It uses AI and analytical models to show you what a fair mortgage rate really looks like—your “true rate”—based on your unique financial situation and real market conditions. It strips out all the bait-and-switch pricing you see all over the internet, such as rates advertised with big point fees hiding in the fine print.
Instead of giving you a one-size-fits-all estimate, TrueRate calculates what rate you should be looking for that day, using the same kinds of data that lenders themselves rely on to provide their own rate information. We’re just making it all public for the first time. You’ll be able to see whether an interest rate offered by a bank, credit union, or mortgage company is low, average, or too high—before you agree to anything.
We believe in transparency. Here’s how we crunched the numbers.
How credit scores impact mortgage rates
Your credit score plays a huge role in the mortgage process. It helps lenders—and the government organizations that oversee these lenders—determine how likely it is that you’ll repay your mortgage.
Your credit score is a three-digit number, usually between 300 (i.e., you have “bad credit”) and 850 (i.e., you have “excellent credit”). The average credit score for a new home buyer is about 720. There’s a number of different credit agencies that calculate your score (they all have different methods), but your number is based on your credit history. This includes:
- Payment history (on-time or late payments)
- Total debt and credit utilization
- Length of credit history
- Types of credit accounts (credit cards, loans, etc.)
- New credit inquiries
If you have a long history of managing other kinds of credit or debt effectively (your credit cards or car loans, for example), you’re more likely (statistically) to pay your mortgage. So, you’ll have a higher credit score, and that higher score can result in a lower mortgage interest rate.
Here’s what you need to know about credit scores, how they’re used in mortgage lending, and what score ranges actually mean.
Frequently asked questions
Your credit score is only one factor among many that lenders use to determine the interest rate they’ll offer. It’s not everything. But it does have a fairly significant impact on your interest rate.
Here’s an example from June 2025. Using TrueRate data on 30-year fixed rate mortgages, we held the home price, location, and down payment consistent, but adjusted the credit score to see how much of an impact it had on good interest rates.
| Credit score | Good interest rate range | Bad interest rate range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 580 - 619 (low credit) | 580 - 619 (low credit) | More than 6.92% | More than 7.54% |
| 620-639 (fair credit) | 620-639 (fair credit) | 6.92% - 7.25% | 7.54% - 7.74% |
| 640-659 | 640-659 | 6.88% - 7.23% | 7.47% - 7.67% |
| 660-679 | 660-679 | 6.85% - 7.15% | 7.39% - 7.57% |
| 680-699 | 680-699 | 6.82% - 7.07% | 7.33% - 7.50% |
| 700-719 (good credit) | 700-719 (good credit) | 6.78% - 7.0% | 7.28% - 7.45% |
| 720-739 | 720-739 | 6.72% - 6.94% | 7.21% - 7.37% |
| 740-759 (very good credit) | 740-759 (very good credit) | 6.68% - 6.88% | 7.12% - 7.27% |
| 760-779 | 760-779 | 6.62% - 6.83% | 7.05% - 7.20% |
| 780+ (excellent credit) | 780+ (excellent credit) | 6.6% - 6.79% | 7.00% - 7.15% |
As you can see, a better credit score can improve the interest rate range, but it’s not a transformative difference. Once you’re within the qualifying credit range for a conventional mortgage, choosing the right lender can be far more valuable than trying to boost your credit score slightly. For example, in the same scenario above, someone with excellent credit could go to an overpriced lender and get a 7.15% interest rate. Someone with lower credit (620), could go to a good priced lender and actually get a better interest rate (6.92%).
Also note that once you’re in the “very good” credit range (typically 780+), you won’t necessarily get a better mortgage rate if you had a score of 800.
FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) is the most widely used credit scoring system in the mortgage industry. While there are other models (like VantageScore), FICO Scores are the gold standard for mortgage lenders.
There are actually multiple versions of FICO, but most lenders use either FICO Score 2, 4, or 5, depending on the credit bureau (Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax).
When you apply for a mortgage, lenders often pull a “tri-merge” credit report with all three scores—and typically use the middle score to make their decision.
Tip: Most conventional loans require a minimum score of 620. FHA loans can go as low as 580 (or 500 with a larger down payment), but come with added fees.
Yes, you can do things right away to improve your credit score—and it’s often worth it. Steps like:
- Paying down credit card balances
- Making on-time payments
- Disputing credit report errors
- Avoiding new hard inquiries
Even a 20–40 point increase can get you into a better pricing tier. You can also explore programs like HomeReady or Home Possible, which may be more flexible for buyers with moderate credit scores.
Great time for home buyers in North Carolina
In 2023, mortgage rates in North Carolina, like much of the country, were on the rise. At the start of the year, rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage hovered between 6% and 6.5%. While these weren’t the historically low rates seen during the pandemic, they reflected the ongoing efforts to combat inflation, which continued to dominate financial headlines. Throughout the year, rates remained in that range, shifting slightly based on decisions made by the Federal Reserve.
By mid-2023, some mortgage rates even reached 7%, which marked a significant increase compared to previous years. For homebuyers, especially those entering the market for the first time, this rise in rates presented a challenge. Still, North Carolina’s housing market remained competitive. Cities like Raleigh, Charlotte, and Durham continued to experience strong demand. This resilience is largely due to the state’s relatively affordable cost of living and a growing job market, both of which continue to attract new residents.
As of late 2024, however, the outlook has improved. Interest rates have started to decline, offering some relief to prospective buyers—particularly those with strong credit scores. And while rates remain higher than during the pandemic, North Carolina home prices are still more reasonable compared to states like California. That means buyers aren’t facing the same level of financial pressure, even with higher borrowing costs.
For anyone looking to purchase a home in North Carolina, now is a promising time to explore options, take advantage of falling rates, and benefit from the state’s balanced mix of affordability and opportunity.