Mortgage lender · Fort Mitchell, KY · LEI 549300X8AUU3UC1ULZ79

First Equity Mortgage review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

First Equity Mortgage earns a C, in line with the typical performance of mid-size mortgage lenders. It turned down 15.6% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 33rd percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.04 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 78th percentile on pricing. Compared against 581 mid-size mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

2.3kApplications2025
55.1%Originatedof applications
15.6%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.38%Median ratenational 6.63%
$640MLoan volume9 states

First Equity Mortgage at a glance, 2025

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

10.2%Denial rate (all applications)-7.76 pts vs national
15.6%Denial rate (decided applications)-6.95 pts vs national
55.1%Origination rate-2.94 pts vs national
34.7%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
6.38%Median interest rate-0.25 pts vs national
0.04Median rate spread (pts over APOR)-0.22 pts vs national
$505,000Median loan amount
$5,478Median total loan costs
$181kMedian applicant income
78%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the C grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 581 mid-size mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

33rd15.6% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

78th0.04 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

5th34.7%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

90th1.08% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20232,2861,17011.8%18.8%6.13%$573M
20242,3981,3579.4%14.2%6.49%$660M
20252,3201,27810.2%15.6%6.38%$640M

What First Equity Mortgage 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 2,301 99% · 10.3% denied
Refinance 13 1% · 0.0% denied
Home improvement 6 0% · 16.7% denied

By loan type

Conventional 1,972 85% · 7.7% denied
FHA 129 6% · 35.7% denied
VA 209 9% · 16.3% denied
USDA / RHS 10 0% · 50.0% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 0 manufactured homes, 45 investment properties.

Why First Equity Mortgage denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 237 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 135 57%
Credit history 70 30%
Other 11 5%
Employment history 9 4%
Insufficient cash 7 3%
Unverifiable information 5 2%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at First Equity Mortgage

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k36769.6%
$50k – $100k25611138.7%
$100k – $150k51928216.6%
$150k – $250k8314949.9%
Over $250k6723849.2%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under 25321525.0%
25–3447226415.9%
35–4470235817.5%
45–5448627015.1%
55–6438723713.5%
65–7418511012.7%
Over 74562417.2%

Where First Equity Mortgage lends

9 states and 74 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Texas58030412.6%6.38%#237
Ohio51828810.0%6.38%#131
Kentucky46227910.2%6.38%#84
North Carolina189875.3%6.49%#236
Tennessee1721076.4%6.38%#236
Indiana1671015.4%6.50%#222
Virginia1556519.4%6.13%#237
Florida76476.6%6.13%#533

Frequently asked questions

First Equity Mortgage denied 15.6% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 33rd percentile of mid-size mortgage lenders.

The most common reason First Equity Mortgage gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 57.0% 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 First Equity Mortgage originated in 2025 was 6.38%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.04 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 99% of its applications were for home purchases, 1% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 0% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 85% conventional, 6% FHA, 9% 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 First Equity Mortgage. Data sources · Methodology