Best Mortgage Lenders for First Time Home Buyers in New Mexico

Jump straight to it: The best New Mexico mortgage lender for first time home buyers is Rocket Mortgage.

Are you preparing to buy your first home in the Land of Enchantment? New Mexico is a great state to call home, but you may have some questions about finding the best mortgage lender. We’ll walk you through the steps.

Quick Look: Best Mortgage Lenders for First Time Home Buyers in New Mexico

• Best for Online Loans: Rocket Mortgage®
• Best for Low-Income Buyers: CitiBank Mortgage
• Best for Face-to-Face Service: PNC
• Best for Self-Employed: CrossCountry Mortgage
• Best for Credit Monitoring: loanDepot
• Best for Borrowers with No Credit Score: Guaranteed Rate
• Best for VA Loans: Veterans United

7 Best Mortgage Lenders in New Mexico for First Time Home Buyers

Now that you know the different mortgage options and first time homebuyer programs available to you, it’s time to find your mortgage lender. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the top lenders in New Mexico, grouped into 7 categories.

Rocket Mortgage®, powered by Quicken Loans®, makes it easy to quickly and painlessly apply online for a first time homebuyer loan.

In a matter of minutes, Rocket Mortgage® makes mortgage suggestions and quickly allows you to see what you qualify for. Rocket Mortgage® also has around-the-clock customer service ready to answer your questions.

Loan types offered: Conventional, FHA, USDA and VA

Credit score requirement: 620

2. Best for Low-Income Buyers: CitiBank Mortgage

If you can’t afford a large down payment and want a lender who provides down payment assistance options, CitiBank Mortgage is a top New Mexico lenders.

It offers a large variety of mortgage types for first time homebuyers to choose from, has low down payment assistance options, considers nontraditional credit and offers discounts for existing bank members.

Loan types offered: Conventional, FHA and VA

Credit score requirement: 620

3. Best for Face-to-Face Service: PNC

If you prefer working with someone one-on-one during the mortgage application process, PNC might be a good choice for you.

It offers services online and in-person, so you can get the guidance you need on the right mortgage type. This lender also takes nontraditional credit (like on-time utility payments) into consideration when qualifying you.

Loan types offered: Conventional, FHA, USDA and VA

Credit score requirement: 620–700

4. Best for Self-Employed: CrossCountry Mortgage

CrossCountry Mortgage makes it easy for all types of home buyers to get approved for a mortgage. Their flexible requirements can help you get financing, with no employment or income verification and no minimum DTI. CrossCountry Mortgage offers traditional loan terms, as well as more flexible mortgage payment plans with its 40-year loan program. It's one of the best local mortgage lenders.

It’s also easier to get approved if you’re self-employed. Tax returns are not required and you’ll only need 1 year of self-employment income history and a minimum credit score of 580. CrossCountry Mortgage can also help you get approved on assets alone, like your bank statements, stocks and bonds, or retirement accounts.

5. Best for Credit Monitoring: loanDepot

loan Depot is a non-bank lender that gives you convenience and efficiency online with the option to visit one or over 200 branches across the country. loanDepot offers fixed-rate and adjustable-rate conventional mortgages. You could also secure jumbo, FHA or VA loans, although conventional loans made up most of LoanDepot’s mortgage originations last year. LoanDepot also offers 10-, 15-, 20- and 30-year mortgage terms. 

In addition to mortgages and home refinancing, LoanDepot offers free credit score monitoring to help you prepare to apply for a mortgage. You'll need a minimum credit score of 620 and at least 5% downpayment. 

6. Best for Borrowers with No Credit Score: Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate Companies is a major mortgage lender based in Chicago, Illinois. It offers various home loans, including conventional fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), jumbo loans, interest-only loans, home renovation loans government-backed FHA mortgages, and VA loans. 

It also offers flexible mortgage application options and accepts non-traditional credit, like your rent or utility payment history, to qualify for a conventional or government-backed loan. With so many options, you can work with the company to find the mortgage that meets your needs. 

7. Best for VA Loans: Veterans United

If you’ve logged some time in the military, Veterans United’s loans will likely be the best deal. Unlike other veteran-marketed loan programs, Veterans United only accepts active duty and veteran military members.

In addition to no-down-payment loans, you’ll also eliminate the private mortgage insurance you’ll have to pay with other mortgages.

Veterans United is also more forgiving of lower credit scores. Interest rates are lower than average.

The Housing Market in New Mexico: An Overview

Before you choose a lender, you’ll want to understand the current state of your local housing market. 

Here’s a quick overview of the New Mexico market, including median home values:

Total households: 848,218

Median list price: $370,500

3 most expensive cities in New Mexico to buy a house:

• Santa Fe: $799,000
• Albuquerque: $375,000
• Las Cruces: $351,200

3 most affordable cities in New Mexico to buy a house:

• Clovis:  $137,620
• Roswell: $156,112
• Hobbs: $160,890

Investigate median home values to help you prepare for what you could pay on your new home, based on location.

Preparing for a Mortgage

Before starting the mortgage application process, you’ll want to have a few items ready. We’ll walk you through the application process and provide some helpful tips along the way.

First Time Home Buyer Mortgage Process in New Mexico

Before starting the home loan application process, it’s important to take a look at your finances. Knowing where you stand financially will help you decide which mortgage type and lender is right for you.

You should:

Know How Much Down Payment You Can Afford

Many types of mortgages and lenders have down payment criteria you need to meet. Knowing how much you can comfortably put down on your home will help you figure out which mortgages you’re eligible for and how low your rate is likely to be.

Know Your Credit Score

Your credit score is used to determine if you’re a creditworthy applicant. Your score also helps determine your mortgage rate. Different lenders have different criteria when it comes to credit scores. Usually the lower your rate, the lower your score.

Next, it’s time to gather the documentation you’ll need to start applying for a mortgage. Having these details ready helps save time and speeds up the mortgage process.

You should gather:

• Your Social Security number
• Your tax information from the past 2 years
• Your pay stubs from the past 2 months
• Your account totals (checking, savings, retirement and other investment accounts)

You might need to supply additional documentation, depending on your lender’s requirements. Below are popular lenders and required minimum credit scores. 

Mortgage Options

All first-time homebuyers should be aware of the different mortgage options available. To help you figure out the best mortgage type for your financial situation, we’ll walk through the 5 most common mortgages.

Conventional Loan

This type of loan is granted by banks or credit unions. Conventional loans have higher mortgage rates (interest rates) because they aren’t backed by the government. Many have low down payment options. On the upside, they’re usually easier to qualify for, since their requirements are more flexible.

FHA Loan

This type of loan is ideal for first time homebuyers and is financed through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA loans typically have below-market mortgage rates, low down payment options (3.5% minimum) and low credit score minimums (as low as 580). You can secure an FHA loan through most conventional lenders.

USDA Loan

This type of loan is financed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is ideal for homes being purchased in rural areas (outside of major cities) in New Mexico. USDA loans have below-market mortgage rates, no down payment requirements and low credit score minimums (as low as 640). You can secure a USDA loan through most conventional lenders.

VA Loan

This type of loan is financed through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for current and former military members and their families. VA loans typically have below-market mortgage rates, no down payment requirements and no credit score minimums (unless required by a lender). You can secure a VA loan through most conventional lenders and through VA-only lenders.

Jumbo Loan

This type of loan is used to finance homes over $484,350 (the limit might be higher, depending on where you live). Jumbo loans can be conventional or FHA loans. These loans have larger down payment expectations and higher credit score requirements. Many lenders expect a minimum down payment of 20% on jumbo loans, but some lenders, like Rocket Mortgage®, only require 10% down.

First Time Home Buyer Programs in New Mexico

The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) offers a variety of programs designed to help first time homebuyers like you better afford a home. Here are a few resources they offer:

FIRSTHome

This mortgage assistance program is offered to New Mexico first time homebuyers with low-to-moderate incomes. FirstHome has low-interest rates and prevents lenders from charging origination fees.

FIRSTDown

This down payment assistance program provides up to $8,000 in down payment assistance via a forgivable loan. FirstDown can only be used with a FirstHome mortgage.

HomeNow

This down payment assistance program provides up to $8,000 in down payment assistance for low-income, first time homebuyers via a forgivable loan. HomeNow must be used with a FirstHome mortgage.

Current Mortgage Rates in New Mexico

Mortgage rates refer to the interest rates of your mortgage. Since you’ll pay this rate throughout the lifetime of your loan, locking in a low mortgage rate can save you up to tens of thousands in interest.

Your lender determines your mortgage rate based on a few different factors including your credit score, down payment, mortgage type, home location and your mortgage term.

Mortgage term refers to the length of your mortgage. There are 2 types of terms: fixed and adjustable. A fixed mortgage allows you to pay a fixed amount every month for the duration of your loan. With an adjustable mortgage (ARM), you pay a fixed amount for your introductory period, after which your mortgage rate and monthly payment will fluctuate based on the local market.

Since mortgage rates in New Mexico can vary greatly from city to city, we’ve compiled median mortgage rate data based on 3 loan terms to give you a better idea of what you can expect your mortgage rate to be.

Closing a Mortgage

Once you’ve found a lender and chosen a mortgage type and term, you’ll begin the closing process. Closing is the last step in the mortgage process. During closing, you’ll sign all of your loan documents and verify the terms of your mortgage. This is when your down payment and any closing costs are due.

You’ll also walk through your new home one final time to verify it’s in the condition you agreed to. From there, you’ll meet with your agent to review and sign all financial paperwork. Once this is complete and payments are made, you’ll receive the keys to your new home.

Depending on your lender, the closing process can take between 30–45 days. An online lender, like Rocket Mortgage®, can typically speed this timeline because approvals and verifications happen more quickly.

Here are typical closing day expectations based on top lenders in New Mexico.

Get Ready to Buy Your First Home in New Mexico

Buying your first home is a major monument in your life. Take your time and investigate all of your options before you commit to a mortgage lender. Focus on the incentives that are most important to you and choose a lender who is willing to make your financial dreams become a reality.

Frequently Asked Questions