Mortgage lender · New Hartford, NY · LEI 549300NBSU5FHMDN5F74

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

First Source earns a D, weaker than most 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 1.18 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 4th percentile on pricing. Compared against 581 mid-size mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

1.3kApplications2025
74.7%Originatedof applications
15.6%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.74%Median ratenational 6.63%
$102MLoan volume2 states

First Source at a glance, 2025

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

14.3%Denial rate (all applications)-3.68 pts vs national
15.6%Denial rate (decided applications)-7.03 pts vs national
74.7%Origination rate+16.69 pts vs national
8.1%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
6.74%Median interest rate+0.12 pts vs national
1.18Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.93 pts vs national
$70,000Median loan amount
$3,477Median total loan costs
$92kMedian applicant income
68%Median loan-to-value
4High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the D 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%

4th1.18 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

88th8.1%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

5th4.97% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20231,2439868.1%9.0%6.24%$92M
20241,26294813.7%15.1%6.74%$95M
20251,26694614.3%15.6%6.74%$102M

What First Source 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 185 15% · 12.4% denied
Refinance 300 24% · 15.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 8 1% · 12.5% denied
Home improvement 529 42% · 13.0% denied
Other / HELOC 244 19% · 17.6% denied

By loan type

Conventional 1,266 100% · 14.3% denied

Also: 296 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 65 manufactured homes, 72 investment properties.

Why First Source denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 181 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 81 45%
Incomplete application 41 23%
Credit history 18 10%
Employment history 16 9%
Other 16 9%
Collateral 5 3%
Unverifiable information 2 1%
Insufficient cash 2 1%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at First Source

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k18210336.2%
$50k – $100k48034617.5%
$100k – $150k31124710.5%
$150k – $250k1791515.0%
Over $250k38286.5%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–341369816.9%
35–4429722816.6%
45–5432324814.4%
55–6426519415.0%
65–741228119.4%
Over 74432721.6%

Where First Source lends

2 states and 16 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
New York1,26494614.2%6.74%#69

Frequently asked questions

First Source 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 Source gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 44.8% 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 Source originated in 2025 was 6.74%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 1.18 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 15% of its applications were for home purchases, 24% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 61% 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 First Source. Data sources · Methodology