1st Tribal Lending

What 1st Tribal Lending does

1st Tribal Lending is a specialized U.S. mortgage lender operating exclusively in the HUD Section 184 and Section 184A home loan programs, which are federal loan-guarantee products designed to expand homeownership for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians on tribal trust and Hawaiian home lands. The company originates purchase, construction, renovation, and refinance loans with a 1.0% government guarantee fee, downpayments as low as 1.25%–2.25%, 30-year fixed rates, and, for loans closed after July 1, 2023, no monthly mortgage insurance. Its core technical platform is a Section 184/184A origination and processing stack with in-house approvals and funding — a deliberate choice to avoid third-party intermediaries and accelerate closings.

The business is structured as a DBA (doing business as) of Click n Close Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS 150009), which holds multi-state lending licenses across Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, and operates six physical branch offices in tribal-dense states (Phoenix AZ, Fallbrook CA, Norman and Tahlequah OK, Wilsonville OR, Sioux Falls SD). Revenue is generated from two streams: transaction-based mortgage origination (fees and gain-on-sale) and recurring loan servicing. Since founding in 2011, the company reports $3.6 billion in loans originated to 16,500 Native families, and has layered on the Rosebud Downpayment Assistance Program — a tribally-sponsored 3% forgivable grant — to lower upfront borrower costs.

Go-to-market is a hybrid sales-led, community-led, and direct-to-consumer motion: toll-free phone origination, a 24/7 online prequalification and application portal, in-house loan servicing, and referral pipelines from Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) and tribal housing authorities. Marketing combines content/SEO, organic social (Facebook, Pinterest), email newsletter, and community partnerships, including a sponsorship relationship with the American Indian College Fund tied to loan volume. The firm is privately held with no disclosed venture or private equity backing.

Name

1st Tribal Lending

Legal name

Click n Close Mortgage, Inc.

Website

https://1tribal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

1st Tribal Lending is a U.S. mortgage lender that originates HUD Section 184 and 184A home loans exclusively for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian borrowers, operating as a DBA of Click n Close Mortgage, Inc. with six regional offices and nationwide licensure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Mortgage Lending

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing / Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rural, Tribal & Special-Population Housing Programs (FSALAKAL)

Keywords

• Tribal mortgage lending
• HUD Section 184 loans
• Native American home loans
• Native Hawaiian mortgages
• Downpayment assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Loan Origination: Revenue generated from originating HUD Section 184/184A home loans for Native Americans. Includes interest income on mortgages and origination fees. The company is a dba of Click n Close Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS 150009).
2. Loan Servicing: Revenue from servicing existing loans. Loan Servicing hotline available at 888-845-6536 for existing loan holders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

1st Tribal Lending originates and services HUD Section 184 and Section 184A home loans for enrolled members of federally recognized tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians seeking to purchase, construct, renovate, or refinance primary residences on or near tribal/trust lands. The company complements its core lending with the Rosebud Downpayment Assistance Program, a forgivable grant covering up to 3% of the purchase price for qualifying borrowers.

Product overview

1st Tribal Lending operates as a single-product mortgage lending platform specializing exclusively in HUD Section 184 and 184A home loan programs for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians. The core offering consists of HUD Section 184 loans for enrolled tribal members and Alaska Natives, and HUD Section 184A loans for Native Hawaiians on Hawaiian Home Lands. The company complements its primary lending products with the Rosebud Downpayment Assistance Program, a tribally-sponsored grant that reduces upfront costs for eligible borrowers. The product portfolio focuses on three loan categories: purchase, construction, and refinance, with features including low down payments (1.25%-2.25%), no monthly mortgage insurance for loans closed after July 1, 2023, and in-house loan approvals and funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HUD Section 184 Home Loans Primary mortgage product enabling enrolled members of federally recognized tribes and Alaska Natives to purchase, construct, renovate, or refinance homes on or off reservation lands within HUD-approved areas. Features include downpayments as low as 1.25%-2.25%, 30-year fixed rates, a 1.0% government guarantee fee, no monthly mortgage insurance for loans closed after 7/1/23, and cash-out refinance up to 85% LTV.
• HUD Section 184A Home Loans Mortgage product specifically designed for Native Hawaiians to purchase homes on Hawaiian Home Lands, extending the same flexible underwriting framework as Section 184.
• Rosebud Downpayment Assistance Program Tribally-sponsored grant program providing 3% of purchase price (2.25% for downpayment, 0.75% for closing costs) to qualifying tribal members using Section 184 or FHA loans. Funds are secured by a 2nd mortgage with no payments or interest, fully forgivable after five years.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.6 Billion in loans provided to 16,500 Native Families since 2011
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Indian College FundcoreOthers1st Tribal Lending is a proud sponsor of the American Indian College Fund. Every loan results in a donation for a Native American student to attend the college of their choice. The company is sponsoring 17 scholarships this year, demonstrating deep community commitment to Native American education and economic empowerment.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)coreOthers1st Tribal Lending operates as an approved lender under the HUD Section 184 and Section 184A loan programs. Section 184 was established in 1992 to provide mortgage financing for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians. The company processes loans with government guarantees (1.0% guarantee fee) that protect lenders on tribal trust lands.
• Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDHEs are tribal housing authorities that administer housing programs and work with 1st Tribal Lending to provide Section 184 loans to tribal members. The relationship enables tribes to fulfill housing needs under NAHASDA while maintaining protections for tribal trust lands.
• Click n Close Mortgage, Inc.coreOthers1st Tribal Lending is a dba (doing business as) of Click n Close Mortgage, Inc., NMLS 150009. This is the parent/holding company structure for the lending operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• DreamSpring: A Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing capital to underserved communities including Native American entrepreneurs and homebuyers. Comparable mission and target demographic, though focused on small-dollar lending and small business rather than large-balance mortgages.

Broad incumbents

• Caliber Home Loans: A large non-bank mortgage originator with significant government loan (FHA/VA/USDA) exposure and correspondent lending capacity. Caliber could credibly enter the HUD 184 segment by leveraging its existing government-loan operations and servicing platform.
• Rocket Mortgage: The largest US mortgage originator by volume, offering FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loan products nationwide. While not specialized in HUD Section 184 today, Rocket's scale and origination infrastructure could enable rapid entry into the tribal lending niche via direct-to-consumer channels.
• LoanDepot: A top-five US retail mortgage lender with a diversified product set including FHA, VA, and other government-backed products. Its national retail branch network could be leveraged for direct-to-tribal-community lending.
• NewRez: A national mortgage lender (formerly Shellpoint/New Penn) with strong government loan (FHA/VA) capability and a sizable servicing platform. NewRez's servicing infrastructure could enable tribal loan portfolio acquisition or expanded originations.
• United Wholesale Mortgage: The largest wholesale mortgage lender in the US with broker partners originating FHA, VA, and other government-backed loans. As Section 184 volume grows, UWM is positioned to enable wholesale tribal lending via its extensive broker network.

Direct peers

• Cornerstone Home Lending: A privately held mortgage banker with deep FHA, VA, and USDA lending expertise across multiple states. Comparable business model as a relationship-driven, multi-state licensed lender focused on government-backed loan products.
• PlainsCommerce Bank: A community bank headquartered on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation serving Native American communities across the Northern Plains. Comparable as a tribal-serving financial institution, though operating under a bank charter rather than as a pure mortgage originator.
• Mann Mortgage: A mid-sized regional mortgage lender with experience in government-backed loan programs including FHA, VA, and rural development lending. Comparable to 1st Tribal as a niche, relationship-driven lender focused on underserved borrower segments across multi-state geographies.
• Paramount Residential Mortgage Group (PRMG): A top-25 US mortgage lender with deep government-backed loan expertise (FHA, VA, USDA) and multi-state retail/wholesale presence. Could credibly enter or expand into the HUD 184 segment through its originator network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1stTribalLending
• Pinterestpinterest.com/1triballending
• Xx.com/1sttriballendin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1st-tribal-lending

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1st Tribal Lending