Today we’ll analyze NBKC Bank, formerly known as National Bank of Kansas City, which a depository that’s also big on home loans, funding billions in mortgages each year.
They refer to themselves as an “award-winning national mortgage company” thanks to their many accolades and numerous 5-star customer reviews.
Additionally, NBKC is a top-15 VA loan lender by purchase volume, with the loans accounting for more than a quarter of their overall business.
And because they advertise less, they can pass the savings onto their customers via lower rates and fewer fees.
They also used to take part in the Costco Mortgage program before it was shuttered a few years ago. Read on to learn more about them.
NBKC Mortgage Fast Facts
- Depository bank and direct mortgage lender
- Founded in 1999, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
- Offers home loans, checking/savings accounts, home equity loans, and more
- Licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
- Funded more than $3.25 billion in home loans last year
- A big time VA loan lender (25%+ of total business is VA loans)
- Most active in California, Florida, and Texas
- Took part in the Costco home loan program before it was closed
NBKC Bank, founded in 1999, is a full-service online bank and direct-to-consumer retail mortgage lender with a couple of branches in the Kansas City area.
They are also a nationally licensed bank and say they’re one of the few mortgage lenders out there that can fund VA and FHA loans in all 50 states and D.C.
This means you’ll likely be working with them from afar unless you happen to live in Missouri, or I suppose Eastern Kansas.
The good news is they have an awesome website that allows you to apply for a mortgage using the latest technology available.
In 2024, the company funded about $3.25 billion in home loans, with about 80% used to finance a home purchase and the remainder for mortgage refinancing.
Roughly two-thirds of their loan volume was tied to conventional home loans, with 27% VA loans and the rest either FHA loans, jumbo loans, or non-QM loans.
NBKC does more than 20% of their total loan volume in the states of California, Florida, and Texas, and is also quite active in North Carolina, Washington, and their home state of Missouri.
How to Apply for a Home Loan with NBKC
- You can apply for a mortgage directly from their website
- First you need to create an account with NBKC
- Then you can complete the app digitally from any device via a mostly paperless process
- They offer on-site processing, underwriting, closing and funding for quick turn times
NBKC makes it simple to apply for a mortgage thanks to their clean and easy-to-navigate modern website.
To get started, simply visit their website, click on “Home Loans,” then click on “Apply Now.”
You’ll be prompted to create an account by entering your email address. Once verified, you can begin filling out a digital loan application.
They employ the latest technology that allows you to link financial accounts, scan and upload documents, and eSign disclosures and other paperwork.
Alternatively, you can contact one their loan officers directly by using the online directory (research them first if you want to work with one of the highest-rated individuals).
You can also chat with a rep on their website if you have general questions about home loans, or simply call them up on the telephone.
Or start by pricing out a loan on your time on their website, then if you like what you see, you can click on apply.
In summary, NBKC makes it easy to apply for a home loan from any device and their loan officers come highly-rated and with many years of experience on average.
Home Loan Programs Available at NBKC
- Home purchase loans
- Refinance loans: rate and term, cash out, and streamline
- Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
- Jumbo home loans that exceed the conforming loan limit
- VA loans
- FHA loans
- Community Home Loan Program for low-to-moderate income home buyers
- Down payment assistance programs
- Pilot loans
- Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs)
- Home equity loans
You can get a home purchase loan or a refinance loan, including cash out refinances and streamline refis like the VA IRRRL.
NBKC has most of the major loan programs available, including conforming loans, jumbo loans, and government-backed loans like FHA loans and VA loans.
However, they don’t appear to offer USDA loans, which are used to finance properties in select rural areas across the country.
Of course, the loan types mentioned cover most borrowers, so it shouldn’t be an issue for the vast majority of applicants.
They also have a Community Home Loan Program for low-to-moderate income home buyers, and are an MHDC lender (Missouri Housing Development Commission).
Those short on assets can take advantage of their various down payment assistance programs.
My assumption is they lend on all property and occupancy types, so you should be able to get financing for a condo/townhome, a vacation home, or a multi-unit investment property.
They also offer HELOCs, home equity loans, bridge loans, home construction loans, and real estate lot loans to borrowers in the Kansas City area.
And something I’ve never heard of before, a “pilot home loan” for pilots who are always on the move. I have no idea how it works and there’s not much on their website in the way of details.
But I assume it’s because of the unique pay pilots receive based on flying hours and so forth. So if you fly planes and need a mortgage, check out NBKC!
It’s not clear if they offer home renovation products, such as the FHA 203k or Fannie Mae HomeStyle.
NBKC Mortgage Rates
One advantage to using NBKC is the fact that they openly publicize their mortgage interest rates.
So if you visit their website, you can generate real-time mortgage rate quotes for free, without speaking to anyone. And perhaps more importantly, without providing your contact info.
Once you input some basic details, like loan amount, transaction type, and state, it will populate a variety of interest rates with different lender fees.
You should be able to see rates for the 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and 5/1 ARM, along with varying discount points or lender credits.
From what I observed, their mortgage rates were fairly competitive, but maybe not the lowest among all online mortgage lenders.
Of course, all loan scenarios are different and you won’t know the exact rate until you speak to a loan officer about pricing and provide all your details.
In terms of lender fees, it’s unclear if they charge a loan origination fee, or processing and underwriting fees.
But it appears lender fees are minimal as the APR and mortgage rates are pretty similar.
Be sure to inquire about these as well, as they make up your mortgage APR, which is what you should use when shopping among different lenders.
$5K Close-On-Time Guarantee
If you’re a home buyer, they have a special $5,000 guarantee to ensure you close your loan on time.
Assuming you don’t and it’s the fault of NBKC, they will give both you and the home seller $2,500 each for your trouble.
There are some various terms and conditions, but mainly you have to have a loan closing date at least 30+ days in advance from when they receive a signed and dated copy of your purchase contract.
They call it an added incentive for sellers to pick your offer over the competition.
NBKC Mortgage Reviews
On Zillow NBKC Bank has a super impressive 4.94-star rating out of 5 from a whopping 15,000+ customer reviews.
A lot of the reviews indicated that the interest rate and/or closing costs were lower than expected, which is a plus if you’re looking for a good deal on top of quality customer service.
Similarly, they have a 4.7-star rating out of 5 on the LendingTree platform from nearly 5,000 reviews.
They also have a 99% recommended rate and landed in the top-10 for customer satisfaction in both the first and second quarter of 2020.
On Credit Karma, it’s more of the same, a 4.8-star rating out of a possible 5 from about 800 reviews.
NBKC was also ranked the best mortgage lender of 2020 by Best Company, beating out 156 other home loan companies.
And NerdWallet’s 2023 winner for Best Mortgage Lender Overall.
So it appears they’re doing something right in the customer service department.
Additionally, they are an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau and have been since 2004. They currently have an ‘A+’ BBB rating and an amazing 4.86/5 rating from 500+ reviews.
Typically, reviews on the BBB website are poor, so they fact they’re nearly perfect says a lot.
To sum it up, NBKC seems to offer a good user experience, excellent customer service, and a good array of available loan programs.
Those buying a home can take advantage of their $5,000 Close-On-Time Guarantee for assurances they’ll get you to the finish line quick.
Assuming their loan pricing is also up to snuff, they could be a good choice for your home loan needs.
NBKC Mortgage Pros and Cons
The Pros
- You can check daily mortgage rates on their website
- Can apply for a home loan without any human assistance
- Offer a digital mortgage application (apply from any device)
- Licensed in all 50 states and D.C.
- $5K Close-On-Time Guarantee
- Excellent customer reviews across all ratings sites
- A+ BBB rating, accredited since 2004
- Free mortgage calculators and mortgage glossary
The Cons
- Only two branch physical locations (in Kansas City area)
- Do not offer USDA loans
- Unclear what lender fees they charge
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