Eric Burgoon, SVP of mortgage lending at Lake Michigan, said the 119,000-member credit union did not make any specific efforts to reach out to low- to moderate-income borrowers but because of their dedication to providing guaranteed, low mortgage rates, the loans have great appeal to all income groups, he pointed out. Because the credit union's field of membership includes low-income areas, approving loans for members who live in these communities was also a matter of course.

Lake Michigan's low-income designation means that at least 50.1% of its membership has income that is less than 80% of median family income for its area, according to the NCUA and the Michigan Credit Union League.

The HMDA numbers bore out the focus on purchase loans which beat out refinances at Lake Michigan 55.23% to 43.28%, respectively, in 2013. A small number of the loans were used for improvements and renovations to existing properties.

Burgoon said Lake Michigan focused on building working relationships with real estate agents and had been doing so for some time. Many of them are aware of the credit union's reputation as a mortgage lender and its track record for closing loans on time.

"Our aim is to close the loan by the contract date," Burgoon said. "Usually, that's 30 days or so, sometimes a little more or a little less."

The agents appreciated Lake Michigan's on-time performance, that in turn, has helped to build the credit union's mortgage portfolio, he added.

HMDA data showed that 28.34% of Lake Michigan's mortgage loans in 2013 went to low- and moderate-income borrowers, with 25.26% going to middle-income members and 45.42% to upper income borrowers.

Moreover, the relatively high percentage of loans to LMI members did not translate into higher delinquency or charge-off rates. According to NCUA data, Lake Michigan ended 2013 with delinquency and charge-off rates below its peers, and a return on average asset ratio of 1.87% compared to 0.83% for its peers.

Meanwhile, America First Credit Union also attributed its success in LMI mortgages to a strong focus on purchase lending, according to Rex Rollo, EVP at the 659,000-member cooperative. America First put its efforts in the context of wanting to inaugurate every member's experience with financial products.

"We've been at it for a good long while," Rollo said of the credit union. America First was chartered in 1939 for federal employees, but now serves a mix of SEGs and residents of several Utah counties.

"We want to be the first in our members' financial lives," Rollo said. "Their first checking account, their first Visa account, their first auto loan and their first mortgage. That means we tend to make more purchase loans and we make them to lower and moderate income borrowers too."

The HMDA data showed that even though America First is not a low-income designated credit union, mortgage loans to LMI borrowers comprised the largest portion of the credit union's mortgage lending in 2013 at 35.03%. By comparison, 30.44% of the credit union's mortgage loans went to middle income borrowers and 33.71% to upper income.

Unlike Lake Michigan however, more than two-thirds of America First's 2013 mortgage loans went to refinance previous notes, with slightly more than one-third for new property purchases and home improvements, according to the HMDA data.

America First struggled a bit with delinquent loans and charge-offs in 2013, the NCUA's data showed. The credit union's delinquency ratio stood at 2.10% compared to 0.94% for its peers. Its charge-off ratio, while higher than peer, came in closer to its peers at 0.57%, compared to 0.52%.

Still, America First ended 2013 with $800.8 million in mortgage loans and nearly $37 million in real estate-owned properties. At the end of last year, the credit union's return on average assets ratio was 1.89% compared to 0.83% for its peers.

However, Rollo said the NCUA's data on delinquency and REO reflected a couple of larger member business loans that involved real estate that were not from the credit union's single family loan program, which had delinquency rates lower than the state or national averages.

The NCUA's data as of June 30, 2014 showed America First's delinquency ratio was 1.00%, compared to 0.78% for its peers. The amount of REO on the books fell to less than $30 million.

The University of Iowa Community Credit Union attributed its mortgage lending success with low and moderate income borrowers to the number of 100% financed adjustable-rate mortgages originated in 2013, according to Amy Henderson, SVP for mortgage lending.

The ARMs are popular with first-time homebuyers, including recent college graduates and current graduate school students, she noted.

"What we have learned is that many of our first-time buyers are not going to stay in the home for 30 years or even much past seven," Henderson said. "Our 5/1 or 5/5 adjustable rate mortgages just work out to offer these members a much better payment structure than do 30-year, fixed-rate loans."

According to the HMDA's 2013 data, 67.67% of UICCU's mortgage loans were used to buy property, compared to 32.33% to refinance existing notes. At 32.23%, the credit union's mortgage loans went to LMI borrowers versus 27.55% to middle-income borrowers and 40.19% to upper income borrowers.

Henderson said the credit union still made some 30-year, fixed-rate loans, especially for members who participated in a housing assistance program that required the loans carry such loan terms. Some of these programs included assistance from local government agencies that provided money for down payments.

The NCUA's data showed UICCU ended 2013 with a delinquency ratio of 1.18% compared to 0.94% for peers. The credit union's charge-off ratio was 0.44% compared to 0.52% for its peers and its return on average assets ratio for 2013 was 1.55% compared to 0.83% for peers.