Mortgage lender · Emporia, KS · LEI 54930011U6TQ5MJCDV15

ESB Financial review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

ESB Financial earns an A, placing it in the top fifth of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 1.5% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 92nd percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.34 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 41st percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

136Applications2025
97.1%Originatedof applications
1.5%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.75%Median ratenational 6.63%
$25MLoan volume2 states

ESB Financial at a glance, 2025

Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.

1.5%Denial rate (all applications)-16.51 pts vs national
1.5%Denial rate (decided applications)-21.10 pts vs national
97.1%Origination rate+39.03 pts vs national
1.5%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
6.75%Median interest rate+0.13 pts vs national
0.34Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.09 pts vs national
$145,000Median loan amount
$1,806Median total loan costs
$107kMedian applicant income
79%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the A grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 1,883 small mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

92nd1.5% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

41st0.34 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

91st1.5%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

76th1.25% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20231191121.7%1.8%6.76%$22M
2024104990.0%0.0%7.25%$25M
20251361321.5%1.5%6.75%$25M

What ESB Financial lends

Applications by purpose and loan type in 2025, with the denial rate for each. A lender's mix explains a lot of its headline rate: HELOCs and FHA loans are denied far more often than conventional purchase loans.

By loan purpose

Home purchase 63 46% · 3.2% denied
Refinance 72 53% · 0.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 1 1% · 0.0% denied

By loan type

Conventional 136 100% · 1.5% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 2 manufactured homes, 53 investment properties.

Why ESB Financial denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 2 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Insufficient cash 2 100%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at ESB Financial

Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
$50k – $100k33313.1%
$100k – $150k35340.0%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–3420200.0%
35–4435340.0%

Where ESB Financial lends

2 states and 22 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Kansas1321281.5%6.75%#136

Frequently asked questions

ESB Financial denied 1.5% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 92nd percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason ESB Financial gave in 2025 was "insufficient cash", cited on 100.0% of its denials. Lenders report up to four reasons per denial to the CFPB; the full breakdown is on this page.

The median interest rate on loans ESB Financial originated in 2025 was 6.75%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.34 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 46% of its applications were for home purchases, 54% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 0% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 100% conventional, 0% FHA, 0% VA.

Every figure on this page comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register published by the CFPB, which lenders are required by federal law to file. We add the grade and the comparisons; we do not add facts.

About this data. HMDA data is published once a year by the CFPB. The current release covers applications acted on in calendar year 2025. Figures describe applications the lender acted on, including loans it later sold. Interest rates and costs are medians on originated loans only; some depository institutions are exempt from reporting pricing fields, which is why a few cells read "—". MortgageGrades is not affiliated with ESB Financial. Data sources · Methodology