Better Mortgage · California · 2025

Better Mortgage in California: approval rate, denial rate and rates (2025)

Better Mortgage took 5,340 mortgage applications in California in 2025, ranking #39 of 1,147 lenders active in the state. It originated 33.5% of them and denied 27.8% (44.6% of the applications it decided), against a statewide denial rate of 17.4%.

5.3kApplicationsin CA
44.6%Decision denial ratestate 22.4%
7.38%Median ratestate 6.63%
$265,000Median loanstate $385,000
$724MVolume57 counties

Better Mortgage in California vs the state

27.8%Denial rate+10.41 pts vs state
44.6%Decision denial rate+22.20 pts vs state
33.5%Origination rate-22.75 pts vs state
7.38%Median rate+0.75 pts vs state
0.67Rate spread (pts)+0.40 pts vs state
$199kMedian applicant income
1,786Loans originated
1,486Denied

Trend in California

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
20238353296.1%6.25%#152
20241,43350014.0%6.63%#118
20255,3401,78627.8%7.38%#39

What Better Mortgage lends in California

By loan purpose

Home purchase 1,294 24% · 13.7% denied
Refinance 555 10% · 14.6% denied
Cash-out refinance 665 12% · 30.2% denied
Home improvement 426 8% · 31.2% denied
Other / HELOC 2,400 45% · 37.3% denied

By loan type

Conventional 4,953 93% · 28.0% denied
FHA 316 6% · 27.2% denied
VA 71 1% · 19.7% denied

Why it denied California applicants

Incomplete application 512 34%
Debt-to-income ratio 379 26%
Credit history 257 17%
Unverifiable information 123 8%
Collateral 108 7%
Other 87 6%
Employment history 16 1%
Insufficient cash 4 0%

Where in California

Counties with the most Better Mortgage applications in 2025.

CountyApplicationsOriginatedDeniedDenial rate
Los Angeles County 973289313 32.2%
San Diego County 619215171 27.6%
Orange County 443141142 32.1%
Riverside County 362102109 30.1%
Alameda County 2757560 21.8%
Sacramento County 2748572 26.3%
Santa Clara County 2557562 24.3%
San Bernardino County 2455684 34.3%
Contra Costa County 2168047 21.8%
Placer County 1164928 24.1%

Other large lenders in California

LenderGradeApplicationsDenial rateMedian rate
United Shore Financial ServicesB 79,26112.6%6.49%
Rocket MortgageC 58,92517.6%6.75%
Bank of AmericaF 40,19030.8%5.99%
U.S. BankD 32,49331.6%6.50%
JPMorgan Chase BankB 22,0489.7%6.13%
Spring EqD 21,60150.8%8.88%
SchoolsfirstA 19,08610.0%6.25%
Pennymac Loan ServicesC 18,75413.5%6.50%
NewrezD 17,00019.3%6.63%
Loandepot.ComD 16,64518.7%6.63%

Frequently asked questions

California: 5,340 applications in 2025, of which 1,786 were originated and 1,486 denied.

27.8% of all applications, or 44.6% of the applications it actually decided on. The California statewide average across all lenders was 17.4%.

The median rate on loans Better Mortgage originated in California in 2025 was 7.38%, against a statewide median of 6.63%.

About this data. Figures are Better Mortgage's own HMDA filing for properties located in California, 2025. The grade is national; state-level figures are shown for context and are not separately graded. Methodology