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nbkc bank

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7.6

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: September 9th, 2022

nbkc bank (National Bank of Kansas City) is a full-service, FDIC-insured bank and an approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lender. The company consistently and significantly cuts closing costs for customers through its high volume of mortgage loans, low overhead costs, centralized operations, and advanced technology.

nbkc currently has the best customer service score among all reviewed mortgage lenders with an average overall score of 4.9/5 stars from customers. 

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Customer Review: Hank Speakman from Corpus Christi, Texas

"We recently refinanced through nbkc. We've had a number of mortgage transactions over the years but this was the best by far. Mark Q and the nbkc team were great to work with and always kept us informed on the status of the loan. Great rates, easy, friendly, and no surprises — what more could we ask for!"

Along with more than 20 years of mortgage lending experience, nbkc bank offers borrowers online lending nationwide, an easy and efficient online application process, educational resources including 17 financial calculators, customized loan options, and excellent customer service reported by reviewers.

Continue reading for a full review of this company, as well as nbkc bank reviews from real customers.

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The Good

  • nbkc Mortgage Rates
  • Variety of Loan Types
  • Application Process
  • Costco Mortgage Program
  • nbkc Home Equity Options
  • Available Nationwide
  • nbkc bank Reviews

nbkc Mortgage Rates

While mortgage rates can change daily and evenly hourly, the nbkc bank website provides instant illustrative chart data for any proposed mortgage loan. That way, prospective borrowers can get a feel for the mortgage rate, APR, principal and interest (P&I) payment, and lender fees they can expect for a given loan amount, down payment, credit score, and location. Loan programs provided include 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and 5/1 ARMs.

Variety of Loan Types

nbkc bank offers a variety of options for both purchasing and refinancing your home loan, including the following loan types:

  • Fixed Rate Mortgage — makes budgeting easier since the monthly fees amount paid to your loan servicer is the same each month. A fixed-rate mortgage is not affected by fluctuating interest rates. nbkc offers fixed-rate mortgages for 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year terms.
  • Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) — works well for borrowers that plan to move or refinance before the end of the fixed-rate period, as your monthly mortgage payment may fluctuate after the end of the period according to changes in interest rate. nbkc offers 5/1 ARMs, which means the interest rate is fixed for the first five years of the loan, after which the interest rate can change annually.
  • FHA Loan — requires less out-of-pocket cash than most conventional loans and can be obtained with a fair-to-good credit rating. For that reason, FHA loans may be an attractive option for borrowers that have dealt with financial hardship.
  • VA Loan — for qualified U.S. veterans and service members and are backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A VA home loan generally does not require a down payment.

In addition to these loan types, which are offered by most mortgage lenders, nbkc offers two unique loan programs that aren't typically available with other lenders:

  • New Construction Loan — many mortgage lenders don't offer construction loan programs. However, it is important to note that nbkc new construction loans are only available in the Kansas City metro area.
  • Pilot Program — a loan program unique to nbkc, this program is designed to assist pilots in securing homeownership.

In addition to these home purchasing options, nbkc bank offers conventional, FHA, and cash out refinance products and services.

It is also worth noting that nbkc provides FHA loan and VA loan options, both of which are government-backed home loans, allowing eligible consumers to save on their down payment and other fees. Other online lenders don't provide government-backed loans, which can be limiting for some borrowers. However, nbkc doesn't offer a USDA loan option, another government-insured loan that is offered by other mortgage lenders for homebuyers purchasing rural properties.

Application Process

nbkc bank offers a simple four-step mortgage loan application process:

  1. Application — You can fill out the long or short loan application depending on how detailed you want to be.
  2. Document Delivery — Mortgage loan documents are delivered to you, then signed and returned to nbkc.
  3. Appraisal and Title Work — An appraisal is ordered and the bank works with you or your agent to ensure that title work is ordered.
  4. Closing — After documentation is received, an nbkc rep walks you through the final details and you close at a local title company or attorney's office.

The application process is entirely online, making it more convenient for borrowers. But, if you would like to speak with an nbkc bank representative or loan officer, you can do so by visiting any of the branch locations in Kansas or Missouri — nbkc only has offices in these two states.

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Customer Review: Jennifer McMahon from Smyrna, Georgia

"I had a great experience with nbkc. The application process was so easy and the electronic signatures I was able to do made things quick and easy. I thought refinancing would be difficult but it took so little time and effort, and the service I received was great!"

Costco Mortgage Program

Costco members with an Executive membership, Gold Star membership, or Business membership status receive discounts on nbkc bank's origination fee, whereas many other lenders do not offer any discounts off their lender fees.

It's nice that in addition to access to Costco gas stations, cash-back rewards, and discount rewards, a Costco membership benefits you when you choose nbkc as one of its participating lenders through the Costco mortgage services program.

nbkc Home Equity Options

In addition to its financing and refinancing options, nbkc bank offers home equity options that can help you easily tap into your home equity and use funds as needed. The nbkc home equity process is simple and easy, and offers affordable rates starting at 1.99 percent for the first six months. You will only be required to pay interest on the funds that you use.

Although the home equity process is quick and easy, nbkc has two application requirements that must be met: customers must have a good personal credit score and must be Kansas City metro residents.

Available Nationwide

nbkc bank lending services are available in all 50 states due to the company's online mortgage lending model. Prospective borrowers who want to apply for loans can do so from the website, eliminating office wait times.

Though the loan process takes place remotely for borrowers not in proximity to nbkc's offices in Kansas and Missouri, borrowers can be confident they are being well taken care of: loan origination, processing, underwriting, closing, and funding all happen on-site.

nbkc bank Reviews

nbkc bank is ranked as a top mortgage lender because it strives to always put its customers first. Nearly 95 percent of nbkc mortgage reviews are five-star. The top elements that make nbkc stand out from the competition are:

  • Fast and responsive loan process
  • Transparent and frequent communication
  • Low interest rates
  • No surprise lender fees
  • User friendly technology
  • Professional and reliable loan officers
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Customer Review: Kara Conrad from Kirkland, Washington

"Rhett did a great job explaining things, one of our biggest concerns and not going with other companies was the pushy nature and "used car salesman" feel we got. We explained our situation and instead of feeling like it was pushy it was more informative and giving us the option to decide what worked best for us which we truly appreciated. I will definitely be giving this recommendation out to other friends."

nbkc bank complaints are extremely limited and 94 percent of nbkc's customers agree that they would recommend the lender to a friend. Thus, it's a company that should be high on your list of consideration for a home loan.

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The Bad

  • Limited Office Locations
  • Mobile App Limitations

Limited Office Locations

Most work for nbkc bank is done online or over the phone because office locations are limited. nbkc only has four office locations: 

  • Overland Park, KS
  • Leawood, KS
  • Liberty, MO
  • Kansas City, MO

This aspect may deter remote borrowers who feel more comfortable discussing their mortgage face-to-face with a loan officer.

Mobile App Limitations

In addition to mortgages, nbkc bank offers personal online banking and business banking services including business loans, treasury solutions, credit card management, auto loans, home equity loans, savings account and checking account services, and CDs. Most of these services can be managed on the NBKC Bank mobile app for both iOS and Android. 

However, the mobile app is exclusive to nbkc's banking services, and does not provide any options for managing your home loans. A more all-inclusive app, or perhaps even a separate mortgage-focused app, would make borrowing from nbkc bank even more convenient than it already is.

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The Bottom Line

nbkc bank provides several types of mortgages nationwide and utilizes a streamlined online application process for each mortgage program. Plus, origination, processing, underwriting, closing, and funding are all done on-site. The Costco member discounts are added perks. 

Most significant, though, is the customer satisfaction evidenced by the nbkc mortgage reviews below. Overall, most customers speak highly of the company's loan officers and other representatives' attention to detail and customer care throughout the home buying process, confirming the company's excellent customer service.

Users give nbkc an average of 4.5/5 stars in all of our sentiment criteria:

  • Value for your money
  • Quality of product or service
  • Customer service
  • Company trustworthiness 

If you're nervous about the prospect of purchasing a home loan online, know that nbkc bank is equipped to provide you with a positive experience. From the efficiency of the application process to the personal service of its loan officers, this lender gets online mortgage lending right.

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Star Rating

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4.9

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428 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

95%

4 grade

3%

3 grade

1%

2 grade

0%

1 grade

1%

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Maya Jebb Palmyra, MI

I am surprised how everybody mentioned how attentive Brad was. I applied for a refi loan and after he sent me the list of paper work he needed I had everything sent out within 2 days. I would never hear from Brad unless I initiated the contact. I didn't know if he received all of the uploaded paper work and I had to email if he got it. Then I didn't hear for weeks until I asked again where we are standing. After a few more papers the underwriter needed again nothing for a couple of weeks until I asked again. It was like pulling teeth to get any info about where we are. The process was fairly easy but absolutely no interest from Brad! After the notary was here I don't know what happened next. Will the new Mortgage Company contact us, do we get a note from the old Mortgage carrier that they are paid off, will the Insurance be notified that there is a new Mortgage carrier??? I have no idea. No support whatever from Brad! Will not be back!

3 years ago

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mc Newbury Park, CA

I am a mortgage customer of NBKC. I liked the use of technology for the application process and communicating necessary documents with the bank. The interaction and communication with the loan officer however was unsatisfactory. I was treated by the officer like someone who had no idea and the entire interaction with the respective loan officer felt more like dealing with a used car salesman of the 70s. The officer himself displayed mediocre knowledge of the loan documents always responding how he "did not know" about certain line items and "needed to check with his closer" to provide the answer while telling me that I did not understand the mortgage setup [PS: I have 2 Masters degrees and worked as a finance manager at one point in my career.] And to top it all, I had requested adjustments to the loan, i.e. I did not want to take any cash out and I wanted to pay for closing costs upfront rather than rolling it into the loan. I trusted the officer and his talk that all would be adjusted before the final docs would be presented. Of course nothing was changed in the final docs and then it was of course too late. Partially my fault for "trusting" the sales person. So, in summary, the bank's approach to ease of doing business is great - but beware who you are dealing with at the bank - if it doesn't feel right at any point ask for another loan officer.

3 years ago

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Michael Duong Orlando, FL

Overall good service. Received a great initial rate but when we backed out on an offer we could no longer take advantage of the initial rate when we finally found the right house for us. We were issued a new rate based on current rates. This was quite disappointing.

5 years ago