Largest lenders in Rhea County
| # | Lender | Grade | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance | F | 143 | 20 | 42.0% | 9.87% |
| 2 | United Shore Financial Services | B | 95 | 60 | 17.9% | 6.00% |
| 3 | Rocket Mortgage | C | 89 | 65 | 16.9% | 6.99% |
| 4 | First Financial Bank | C | 82 | 43 | 34.2% | 6.75% |
| 5 | Tennessee Valley FCU | D | 77 | 41 | 29.9% | 6.88% |
| 6 | SouthEast Bank | A | 66 | 50 | 16.7% | 7.50% |
| 7 | Regions Bank | C | 56 | 23 | 37.5% | 6.13% |
| 8 | Dhi Mortgage Company | B | 50 | 32 | 18.0% | 5.44% |
| 9 | FirstBank | C | 49 | 18 | 30.6% | 7.50% |
| 10 | First Community Mortgage | A | 36 | 23 | 19.4% | 6.63% |
| 11 | Freedom Mortgage | B | 35 | 10 | 8.6% | 6.31% |
| 12 | Mortgage Research Center | C | 33 | 15 | 30.3% | 6.25% |
| 13 | Pennymac Loan Services | C | 32 | 16 | 15.6% | 5.63% |
| 14 | First Farmers & Commercial Bank | – | 28 | 26 | 7.1% | — |
| 15 | Broker Solutions | D | 28 | 5 | 10.7% | 7.38% |
| 16 | 21st Mortgage | F | 20 | 1 | 40.0% | 11.57% |
| 17 | Crosscountry Mortgage | B | 19 | 13 | 0.0% | 6.69% |
| 18 | AmeriSave Mortgage | D | 18 | 2 | 77.8% | 6.75% |
| 19 | Citizens Tri-County Bank | C | 18 | 11 | 22.2% | 7.20% |
| 20 | Union Home Mortgage | B | 18 | 15 | 0.0% | 6.63% |
| 21 | Spring Eq | D | 18 | 4 | 61.1% | 9.99% |
| 22 | Mortgage Investors Group | B | 16 | 8 | 18.8% | 6.87% |
| 23 | Kind Lending | C | 16 | 6 | 50.0% | 7.00% |
| 24 | Newrez | D | 16 | 4 | 37.5% | 6.38% |
| 25 | Navy Federal Credit Union | D | 16 | 11 | 18.8% | 7.75% |
Best approval odds in Rhea County
Lowest decision denial rate among lenders that decided at least 50 applications here in 2025.
| # | Lender | Decided | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SouthEast Bank | 65 | 16.9% |
| 2 | Rocket Mortgage | 84 | 17.9% |
| 3 | United Shore Financial Services | 78 | 21.8% |
| 4 | Tennessee Valley FCU | 67 | 34.3% |
| 5 | First Financial Bank | 75 | 37.3% |
| 6 | Regions Bank | 50 | 42.0% |
| 7 | Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance | 85 | 70.6% |
What Rhea County borrowers applied for
By loan purpose
By loan type
Why applications were denied
Rhea County by year
| Year | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate | Median loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,115 | 571 | 23.1% | 7.00% | $175,000 |
| 2024 | 1,364 | 723 | 20.7% | 6.88% | $175,000 |
| 2025 | 1,587 | 801 | 22.9% | 6.74% | $185,000 |
Frequently asked questions
22.9% of applications in Rhea County were denied in 2025, against 17.1% statewide in Tennessee.
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, with 143 applications in 2025 and a denial rate of 42.0%.
The median mortgage application in Rhea County in 2025 was for $185,000; the median property value on originated loans was $315,000.