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Lee County, South Carolina
Mortgage lending record for properties in the county, calendar year 2024.
HMDA data alone cannot be used to determine whether a lender is complying with fair lending laws. The data do not include some legitimate credit risk considerations for loan approval and loan pricing decisions. Cells under 25 applications are withheld.
Lee County, South Carolina, saw 352 HMDA-reported applications and 130 originations ($19m) in 2024.
That is 20.5 originations per 1,000 households, against 60.2 for South Carolina and 48.0 nationally.
The county's denial rate was 47.0%, above the state rate of 25.2%. The median rate spread on originated loans was 0.8 percentage points and 30.2% of originations were 1.5 points or more above the average prime offer rate.
3 lenders reached 25 applications in the county; the most active by originations were SAFE Federal Credit Union (13), 21st Mortgage (11) and Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc (8).
Originations were about level with 2023.
Most active lenders
| # | Lender | Applications | Originations | Amount | Denial rate | Median spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAFE Federal Credit Union | 30 | 13 | $2.0m | 44.4% | — |
| 2 | 21st Mortgage | 62 | 11 | $1.1m | 71.8% | — |
| 3 | Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc | 61 | 8 | $890k | 79.5% | — |
Lenders with at least 25 applications in the county, by originations; up to 40 shown of 3. Denial rate is denials over decided applications in this county.
Compared with South Carolina and the nation
| Measure | This county | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denial rate | 47.0% | 25.2% | 24.3% |
| Median rate spread, pp | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Originations with spread of 1.5 pp or more | 30.2% | 15.5% | 15.6% |
| Average originated loan | $149k | $296k | $329k |
| Originations per 1,000 households | 20.5 | 60.2 | 48.0 |
| Home purchase share of originations | 55.4% | 62.8% | 57.0% |
| FHA-insured share | 16.9% | 16.5% | 13.4% |
| VA-guaranteed share | 21.5% | 12.9% | 7.9% |
Rate spread distribution
Share of 116 originated loans with a reported rate spread, by spread over the average prime offer rate (outlined bar: South Carolina). Loans at 1.5 points or more on a first lien are what Regulation C calls higher-priced.
Loan purpose and loan type
By purpose
Home purchase 55% (72)Home improvement 8% (10)Refinancing 12% (15)Cash-out refinancing 20% (26)Other purpose 5% (7)
By type
Conventional 61% (79)FHA 17% (22)VA 22% (28)USDA 1% (1)
Trend by year
ApplicationsOriginations
This countySouth Carolina
Questions and answers
Which lenders are most active in Lee County, SC?
By 2024 originations: SAFE Federal Credit Union (13), 21st Mortgage (11), Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc (8). 3 lenders had at least 25 applications in the county.
What is the mortgage denial rate in Lee County?
47.0% of decided applications were denied in 2024, against 25.2% across South Carolina and 24.3% nationally.
How many mortgages were originated in Lee County in 2024?
130 loans totalling $19m, from 352 applications; 20.5 originations per 1,000 households.
Where does this data come from?
From the 2024 public HMDA loan/application register (FFIEC and CFPB), by property county; households from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates.
Provenance
Source: HMDA public loan/application register 2022, 2023, 2024 (FFIEC and CFPB, public domain), records with a property in county FIPS 45061; households and population from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2024 five-year estimates; Vintage 2024 population estimates). Built 30 Sep 2026; data through 1 Aug 2026. See methodology and corrections.