Mortgage lender · Grand Rapids, MI · LEI RM2F4G3WBQ8R9OKYRH19

Mercantile Bank review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

Mercantile Bank earns a C, in line with the typical performance of mid-size mortgage lenders. It turned down 15.2% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 34th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.32 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 38th percentile on pricing. Compared against 581 mid-size mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

3.1kApplications2025
69.2%Originatedof applications
15.2%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.75%Median ratenational 6.63%
$622MLoan volume8 states

Mercantile Bank at a glance, 2025

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

12.5%Denial rate (all applications)-5.50 pts vs national
15.2%Denial rate (decided applications)-7.39 pts vs national
69.2%Origination rate+11.18 pts vs national
16.8%Withdrawn by applicant
1.1%Closed for incompleteness
6.75%Median interest rate+0.13 pts vs national
0.32Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.06 pts vs national
$205,000Median loan amount
$3,546Median total loan costs
$107kMedian applicant income
75%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%

34th15.2% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

38th0.32 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

45th17.9%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

73rd1.73% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20232,4941,67416.2%19.3%7.00%$577M
20243,0812,13512.5%15.2%6.88%$529M
20253,0762,12912.5%15.2%6.75%$622M

What Mercantile Bank 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 1,659 54% · 7.7% denied
Refinance 404 13% · 10.9% denied
Cash-out refinance 251 8% · 22.7% denied
Home improvement 424 14% · 19.3% denied
Other / HELOC 338 11% · 21.6% denied

By loan type

Conventional 2,874 93% · 11.7% denied
FHA 194 6% · 23.7% denied
USDA / RHS 8 0% · 12.5% denied

Also: 619 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 149 manufactured homes, 111 investment properties.

Why Mercantile Bank denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 384 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 150 39%
Credit history 132 34%
Collateral 64 17%
Other 11 3%
Employment history 11 3%
Unverifiable information 9 2%
Insufficient cash 6 2%
Mortgage insurance denied 1 0%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at Mercantile Bank

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k42223833.3%
$50k – $100k95164217.0%
$100k – $150k64047210.7%
$150k – $250k5203887.6%
Over $250k4563238.2%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under 2517513811.0%
25–3470951712.0%
35–4468647715.2%
45–5456838716.1%
55–6452833818.3%
65–7428718919.8%
Over 741006213.7%

Where Mercantile Bank lends

8 states and 101 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Michigan3,0412,10112.5%6.75%#32
Florida151213.3%7.00%#824
Indiana8512.5%6.50%#593

Frequently asked questions

Mercantile Bank denied 15.2% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 34th percentile of mid-size mortgage lenders.

The most common reason Mercantile Bank gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 39.1% 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 Mercantile Bank originated in 2025 was 6.75%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.32 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 54% of its applications were for home purchases, 21% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 25% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 93% conventional, 6% 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 Mercantile Bank. Data sources · Methodology