Built for a fast market
Middle Tennessee listings still draw multiple offers. A CPF pre-underwrite gets your file through an underwriter before you write an offer, so your contract carries far less financing risk than a standard pre-qualification.
CPF Mortgage in Tennessee
Tennessee Mortgage Lender
Licensed statewide, with our in-house operations team serving East, Middle and West Tennessee.
Get pre-qualified Call (865) 263-3724
Licensed Tennessee mortgage lender NMLS 222883
Buying or refinancing a home in Tennessee
Tennessee has been one of the fastest-growing states in the country for most of a decade, and the mortgage market shows it. Nashville and its collar counties compete like coastal markets, Knoxville has absorbed a wave of relocation buyers, and Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities have followed.
CPF Mortgage is licensed statewide. Our team in Trinity, Florida handles underwriting, processing and closing for borrowers throughout Tennessee. That is how we hold 20-to-30-day closings in a market where 45 days is normal.
We finance primary homes, second homes in the Smokies and investment property, including short-term rentals, which in Sevier and Blount counties are as often the reason for the loan as the exception to it.
Short-term rental financing
Cabins in Sevierville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge rarely fit a standard second-home box. We write investment and DSCR loans that qualify off the property, not just your tax returns.
USDA territory expertise
Much of East and Middle Tennessee outside the metro cores is USDA-eligible. Zero down on a home twenty minutes from Knoxville or Murfreesboro is a real option, and we run the eligibility map with you.
One team, start to finish
The same people who quote your loan clear your conditions. No hand-off to a processing centre in another state halfway through.
Loan programs available in Tennessee
Every CPF loan program is available to Tennessee borrowers. These are the ones that come up most often here.
THDA Great Choice Home Loan
Tennessee Housing Development Agency financing for first-time buyers and buyers in targeted areas, with a companion Great Choice Plus second mortgage for down payment and closing-cost help. Income and purchase-price limits apply and vary by county.
THDA Homeownership for the Brave
A rate reduction on THDA loans for active-duty service members, veterans, reservists and surviving spouses, worth checking against a straight VA loan if you are near Fort Campbell or Millington.
VA loansFHA loans
Still the most flexible option for a Tennessee buyer with a shorter credit history or a 3.5% down payment.
FHA loansUSDA loans
Zero down in eligible rural areas, which covers far more of Tennessee than most buyers expect, including much of Blount, Loudon, Anderson and Rutherford counties.
USDA loansJumbo loans
For Franklin, Brentwood, Belle Meade and the higher end of the Knoxville and Chattanooga markets, where prices run past the conforming limit.
Jumbo loansCash-out refinance and HELOC
Tennessee homeowners who bought before the run-up are holding significant equity. Take some out for a renovation or debt consolidation without touching a low first-mortgage rate.
HELOCWhat makes a Tennessee mortgage different
The details below change what you pay and what you qualify for. We build them into your first estimate rather than a revised one.
- No state income tax on wages
- Tennessee taxes no earned income, which is a large part of why relocation buyers from the Midwest and the coasts qualify for more here than they expected.
- Recordation tax on the mortgage
- Tennessee charges a recordation tax on the indebtedness being recorded. It is a genuine line on your Loan Estimate, and we quote it rather than leaving it to the closing table.
- Property assessed at a fraction of value
- Residential property in Tennessee is assessed at 25% of appraised value and then multiplied by the local rate. County rates vary widely, so an escrow estimate that is right in Knox County can be badly wrong in Williamson County.
- Short-term rental rules are local
- Sevier County, Nashville and Chattanooga each regulate short-term rentals differently, and those rules affect whether projected rental income can be used to qualify. We check before we quote.
State taxes, assistance-program limits and insurance requirements change. Everything above is general information, not a commitment to lend or a quote. Ask us for the figures that apply to your address and loan amount.
Where we lend in Tennessee
We are licensed statewide. These are the markets our Tennessee loan officers work in most.
East Tennessee
Knoxville · Farragut · Maryville · Alcoa · Oak Ridge · Lenoir City · Sevierville · Gatlinburg · Pigeon Forge
Middle Tennessee
Nashville · Franklin · Brentwood · Murfreesboro · Hendersonville · Mount Juliet · Clarksville · Columbia · Gallatin
Chattanooga and the southeast
Chattanooga · Cleveland · Ooltewah · Signal Mountain · Athens
Tri-Cities and West Tennessee
Johnson City · Kingsport · Bristol · Greeneville · Memphis · Germantown · Collierville · Jackson
Counties served include: Knox, Blount, Loudon, Anderson, Sevier, Jefferson, Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Montgomery, Maury, Hamilton, Bradley, Washington, Sullivan, Shelby, Madison, and every other county in Tennessee.
Tennessee mortgage questions, answered
Is CPF Mortgage licensed in Tennessee?
Yes. Christopher Paul Financial, LLC dba CPF Mortgage is a licensed Tennessee mortgage lender, NMLS 222883. We lend statewide, with service provided by our team in Trinity, Florida.
How fast can I close on a home in Tennessee?
Most CPF Mortgage purchase loans close in 20 to 30 days. In Nashville and Knoxville, where sellers weigh certainty as heavily as price, a pre-underwritten buyer with a short close is frequently the winning offer.
Do you finance cabins and short-term rentals in the Smokies?
Yes. Depending on how you plan to use the property we can write it as a second home, a conventional investment loan, or a DSCR loan that qualifies on the property’s rental income instead of your personal income.
What credit score do I need for a Tennessee mortgage?
FHA financing generally starts around a 580 score and conventional loans around 620, while VA minimums are set by the lender rather than by VA. Score drives pricing as well as approval, so we will show you what a 20-point improvement is worth before you lock.
Can I use THDA down payment assistance with CPF Mortgage?
Bring us your scenario and we will check it. THDA income and purchase-price limits change by county and are updated regularly, so we run your numbers against the current limits and compare a THDA loan against conventional, FHA, VA and USDA options side by side.
Reading for Tennessee buyers and homeowners
DSCR Loans Explained: How They Work, Who They’re For, and What Real Estate Investors Should Expect
Looking for a DSCR loan lender? Finance rental properties using cash flow instead of personal income. Purchases, cash-out refis & short-term rentals.
Loan Pre-Approval vs. Pre-Qualification: What’s the Difference?
Understand the difference between mortgage pre-approval and pre-qualification. Learn why pre-approval strengthens your offer and helps you compete in today’s market.
USDA Loans: Are You Eligible?
If you are unfamiliar with USDA loans, you might be wondering what the US Department of Agriculture has to do […]
Best Non-QM Loans for Self-Employed Homebuyers: Flexible Options Explained
Discover the best Non-QM loans for self-employed homebuyers. Learn how flexible mortgage options like bank statement loans make homeownership possible without traditional income documentation.
Talk to a Tennessee loan officer
Tell us what you are trying to do and we will come back with real numbers: rate, payment, closing costs and the Tennessee items that belong in the estimate.
Tennessee lending team
(865) 263-3724
Licensed Tennessee mortgage lender NMLS 222883