AmeriSave Mortgage Review 2024
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Our Take
3.5
AmeriSave’s rate-buydown program, online tools, customer service and comparably low rates will appeal to first-time buyers, though fees are generally higher than competitors. Most likely to appeal to borrowers who seek FHA loans with a fully online process.
Pros
- A temporary buydown program lowers buyers’ interest rates in their first year.
- Offers low rates compared with other lenders, according to the latest federal data. A home equity line of credit is available
Cons
- Average origination fees are on the high side compared to other lenders, according to the latest federal data.
- Mortgage rates are not published online.
- Doesn’t originate mortgages in the state of New York.
Lender | Min. credit score | Min. down payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
580 | 3% | Visit Lenderat New American Funding at New American Funding | |
620 | 3% | Visit Lenderat NBKC at NBKC | |
580 | 3.5% | Visit Lenderat Rocket Mortgage, LLC at Rocket Mortgage, LLC |
Full Review
AmeriSave is a nonbank mortgage lender based in Atlanta. Loans are available in all states but New York, as well as Washington, D.C.
🏠 Popular loan types include: Fixed or adjustable rate; conventional; FHA; VA; USDA; jumbo; rate and term refi; cash-out refi
🔑 Specialty loans include: Interest-only loans; loans for self-employed borrowers; ITIN loans; loans for manufactured homes
💵 Home equity borrowing options: HELOC
AmeriSave offers ways to reduce the costs of homebuying and refinancing. These include:
Lock & Drop program offers a temporary 1% rate buydown option, which can save a substantial amount of money in the first year of the mortgage.
AmeriSave’s Realty Rewards rebate program offers cash back based on the sale price of the home if the borrower buys the property with the help of a partner real estate agent and uses AmeriSave financing. The real estate agent rebate is limited to fewer than 40 states.
» MORE: How to apply for a mortgage
How we score AmeriSave
Every year, writers and editors use the latest data and independent research to score lenders on an overall rubric, reflecting factors that are most important to mortgage borrowers. Select Why This Category Matters below to learn more.
AmeriSave has a NerdWallet home loans rating of 3.5 stars overall. Here’s a breakdown of this year’s score.
Category | Star rating |
|---|---|
Average mortgage rates and fees | |
Mortgage rate transparency | |
Variety of loan types | |
Customer experience |
- Why This Category Matters
Average mortgage rates and fees (30%)
Our team analyzes federal data to compare mortgage lenders’ origination fees and offered mortgage rates, measuring annual averages across all loan types, as reported by the lenders. The lowest combination of average rates and fees earns the highest star rating in this category. (It’s worth noting that loans considered higher risk, including those such as FHA loans that are easier to qualify for, often have higher interest rates and fees.) Pro tip: In some cases, paying upfront fees may lower a borrower’s mortgage interest rate.
Mortgage rate transparency (25%)
We check how straightforward it is to comparison-shop rates online. NerdWallet’s transparency ratings are higher for lenders that post sample rates on their sites, and highest for sites with self-serve tools that allow shoppers to see what rates might be like for their particular loan. Pro tip: Borrowers who compare customized rate quotes by applying to three or more lenders could save thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.
Variety of loan types (25%)
Finding the right mortgage is different for each borrower. The highest star ratings in this category are awarded to lenders that our research shows offer a wide range of loan types, improving the odds that a borrower will find the best match for their needs: options for purchase and refinance; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans; government-backed FHA, VA or USDA loans; renovation or construction loans; and home equity loans or HELOCs.
Customer experience (20%)
How easy is it to interact with this lender? The highest-rated lenders in this category offer features that are convenient and clarifying for borrowers, such as: an online application, multiple customer service options, a helpful mobile app and candid closing timeline communications.
AmeriSave also earned bonus points for expanding homeownership opportunities by offering a conventional mortgage for manufactured homes.
What borrowers say about AmeriSave mortgages
NerdWallet’s lender star ratings assess objective qualities, including rates, fees and loan offerings. To help you understand borrowers’ subjective experiences, NerdWallet has gathered customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power and Zillow. We also contacted AmeriSave customer support.
→ Below-average score in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study. Mortgage origination covers the initial application through closing day.
Score: 725 of out 1,000. Industry average for origination is 730.
→ Average customer rating on Zillow.
Customer rating: 4.68 out of 5, as of the date of publication. Rating reflects more than 2,400 customer reviews.
🤓 Our Nerds say ...
When we called, we navigated through a series of menus that asked questions about our location, and were promptly connected to a representative. AmeriSave has branch locations in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas, but for most borrowers, visiting a branch in person won’t be an option.
Alternatives to a home loan from AmeriSave
We recommend comparing mortgage rate offers from three or more lenders.
Rocket Mortgage originates more FHA loans than any other lender in the nation.
Veterans United likewise leads in lending volume for VA loans for veterans and their families.
» MORE: Best lenders for FHA loans
More from NerdWallet
NerdWallet’s overall ratings for mortgage lenders are evaluated based on four major categories: average mortgage rates and origination fees, rate transparency to consumers, variety of loan types (purchase, refinance, fixed and adjustable, for example) and customer experience. Among the factors we consider in these categories are: options to apply for home loans online, typical time to close, mobile app experience, level of detail about mortgage rates on lender websites, and NerdWallet’s own analysis of the rates and fees lenders reported in the latest available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. These and other items inform detailed rubrics, which generate ratings from 1 star (poor) to 5 stars (excellent). Read more about how we rate mortgage lenders here.
