Ready to hit the housing market in the Buckeye State? Expect below-average home values but a growing market. Ohio has 5.2 million housing units and a homeownership rate of 66%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey.
The state’s median housing value is $144,200, which falls below the national average of $217,600. Home values can vary by region, though, providing many options for Ohio’s 11.6 million residents.
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Caliber Home Loans of Coppell, Texas, offers mortgage products nationwide. Options include conventional, adjustable-rate, jumbo, refinancing, Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Veterans Affairs loans. Caliber has been in business since 2008, and is solely focused on home lending products.

Carrington Mortgage Services, founded in 2007, offers an array of mortgage and refinancing options to borrowers seeking conventional or government-backed loans. Its California-based parent company, Carrington Holding Co., was established in 2003 and provides a range of real estate services. Carrington Mortgage Services is based in California and also has offices in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana and Maryland.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union, widely known as PenFed, offers borrowers access to many types of mortgages: conventional, adjustable rate, jumbo and Department of Veterans Affairs, plus refinancing loans and home equity lines of credit. The financial institution, which serves 2.5 million members, was established in 1935 and is based in McLean, Virginia.

AmeriSave Mortgage Corp. is an online lender that has been in business since 2002. It was one of the first to offer an offsite digital mortgage experience for customers. The company says it has financed more than 664,000 borrowers since it began operating. With headquarters in Atlanta, AmeriSave services loans in 49 states and Washington, D.C.

Veterans United Home Loans offers mortgages in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and specializes in Department of Veterans Affairs loans. Since 2016, Veterans United Home Loans has generated the largest number of VA purchase loans per year in the nation. The lender was founded in 2002 and is based in Columbia, Missouri.
The average mortgage rate in Ohio is currently 6.71% for the 30-year fixed loan term.
Here are the interest rates offered to Ohio residents looking to buy or refinance a home as of 01/03/2023:
- 30-year fixed purchase: 6.71%
- 30-year fixed refi: 7.86%
- 15-year fixed purchase: 6.35%
- 15-year fixed refi: 5.35%
Is your dream home within reach? U.S. News’ mortgage calculator will show you how much house you can afford.
Ohio homebuyers can get mortgage interest tax credits and help with down payments and closing costs from these programs.
- Available to: Homebuyers who meet one of three criteria, including first-time homebuyers and buyers who have not had an ownership interest in a primary residence in the last three years; honorably discharged veterans; and homebuyers purchasing a home in a target area. Designed especially for homebuyers with low and moderate incomes.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Loan options: 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.
- Down payment and closing cost assistance: You can also use either the Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance program or the agency’s Advantage program for conventional loans.
- Available to: People who are not first-time homebuyers and meet other program requirements, such as income and purchase price limits.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Loan options: 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.
- Down payment and closing cost assistance: You can also use either the Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance program or the OHFA Advantage program for conventional loans.
- Available to: Homebuyers using an OHFA program.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Benefit: Allows homebuyers to choose either 2.5% or 5% of the home’s purchase price to apply toward down payments, closing costs or other preclosing expenses. This assistance is forgiven after seven years.
- Available to: OHFA conventional loan borrowers.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Benefit: $2,500 for homebuyers whose income falls within 50% of the area median income in the county where they purchase a home; $1,500 for homebuyers whose income falls within 80% of the area median income in the county where they purchase a home.
- Available to: Ohio residents who serve the public, including veterans, active-duty military members or members of reserve components, including surviving spouses; police officers, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, EMTs and paramedics; physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses (RNs and LPNs) and STNAs; and teachers (pre-K through grade 12), administrators and counselors.
- Income limits: vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Benefit: Discounted mortgage interest rate.
- Available to: Ohio residents who have graduated within the last 48 months with an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate or other post-graduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: Yes
- Benefit: Rewarded with a discounted mortgage interest rate and 2.5% or 5% down payment assistance. Down payment assistance is forgiven after five years, as long as you remain in Ohio.
- Available to: Homebuyers using an OHFA program.
- Income limits: Vary by county.
- First-time homebuyers only?: No.
- Benefit: First-time homebuyers using Mortgage Tax Credit Plus receive a tax credit of 40% of the home mortgage interest, a maximum annual tax credit of $2,000. With Mortgage Tax Credit Basic, the credit is 30% for a bank-owned property, 25% for a property located in a target area and 20% for all other properties.
Note: Some OHFA programs can be combined. See chart for more details.
U.S. News selects the Best Loan Companies by evaluating affordability, borrower eligibility criteria and customer service. Those with the highest overall scores are considered the best lenders.
To calculate each score, we use data about the lender and its loan offerings, giving greater weight to factors that matter most to borrowers. For mortgage lenders, we take into account each company’s customer service ratings, interest rates, loan product availability, minimum down payment, minimum FICO score and online features.
The weight each scoring factor receives is based on a nationwide survey on what borrowers look for in a lender.
To receive a rating, lenders must offer qualifying loans nationwide and have a good reputation within the industry. Read more about our methodology.
To recap, here are the picks:
Best Ohio Mortgage Lenders of 2023

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Freedom Mortgage is a full-service mortgage company. It’s the fifth-largest mortgage provider in the country and is licensed to operate in all 50 states. Freedom Mortgage offers a variety of mortgage options, including conventional loans, refinancing and first-time homebuyer friendly programs such as FHA loans.

LoanDepot is a mortgage lender that operates nationally with more than 200 branches and delivers both a digital experience and face-to-face service. The lender offers fixed- and adjustable-rate conventional mortgages, Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs loans, as well as refinance and renovation loans. The company was founded in 2010 and is based in Foothill Ranch, California.
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