Financial: Best Home Loan Provider

1. California Bank & Trust

Multiple locations; Calbanktrust.com

California Bank & Trust has helped Californians open the door to homeownership for nearly 70 years and offers a full range of mortgage products. First-time homebuyers, those just looking for a fresh start, people ready to refinance, downsize, or build a dream house are all encouraged to work with California Bank & Trust for their home loan needs.

“We are incredibly humbled to win ‘Best Bank’ for the eighth year in a row and ‘Best Home Loan Provider’ for the first time in the OC Register,” said Ben Alvarado, California Bank & Trust’s executive director of Core Banking.

Orange County residents recognized California Bank & Trust in two categories this year for Best of OC for its positive customer service. California Bank & Trust provides a variety of financial help — in addition to home loans — for businesses and individuals, including commercial banking, business banking, small business lending, treasury management, international banking and wealth management.

California Bank & Trust is the result of merging three institutions acquired separately by Zions Bancorporation: Sumitomo Bank of California, San Diegobased Grossmont Bank and First Pacific National Bank. Today, California Bank & Trust, a division of Zions Bankcorporation, N.A., operates in almost 500 local financial centers throughout 11 Western states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. California Bank & Trust combines the personal attention of a local bank with the resources of a major institution.

JOSHUA SUDOCK, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER California Bank and Trust was voted the top home loan provider in the Orange County Register’s Best of Orange County readers’ choice poll.

– Amy Bentley

2. SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Multiple locations; schoolsfirstfcu.com

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union tailors home loans to meet members’ specific financing needs, putting homeownership within reach for all of its members.

SchoolsFirst FCU offers highly competitive rates on both fixed and adjustable rate products. For school employee members, SchoolsFirst FCU offers a home loan with highly competitive rates and low down payment options, with no private mortgage insurance. First-time buyers are able to get a home loan with a low down payment to make qualifying easier, lower fees and fewer closing costs, along with lower private mortgage insurance as compared to FHA government loans. SchoolsFirst FCU also offers members the option to refinance their current loan as well as two types of home equity lines of credit, with some of the lowest rates in the nation.

SchoolsFirst FCU serves California’s education community with 66 branches — 20 in Orange County — and more than 1.1 million members following the 2020 merger with Schools Financial Credit Union.

Bank of America offers up to $17,500 in grants for down payment and closing costs to low- and moderateincome homebuyers as part of its Community Homeownership Commitment, in addition to low down payment mortgages.

Combined with Bank of America’s Digital Mortgage Experience capabilities designed to improve the home loan process by increasing accuracy, expediting approvals and creating a client-driven experience, the bank says owning a home in Orange County is within reach.

Bank of America is a major player for home loans locally, with $2.7 billion in home loans in Orange County.

Bank of America offers fixed-rate and adjustable mortgages as well as jumbo home loans for borrowers needing higher loan amounts. The bank does FHA and VA loans — government loans from the Federal Housing Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If you’re looking to refinance your existing home loan while rates are low, Bank of America can help with a refinance, too.

3. Bank of America

Multiple locations; Bankofamerica.com