Mortgage lender · Linthicum, MD · LEI 549300MCIFZSDHUT8X63

NFM review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

NFM earns an A, placing it in the top fifth of large mortgage lenders. It turned down 2.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 98th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.35 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 43rd percentile on pricing. Compared against 101 large mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

24kApplications2025
77.9%Originatedof applications
2.3%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.63%Median ratenational 6.63%
$7.3BLoan volume50 states

NFM at a glance, 2025

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

1.8%Denial rate (all applications)-16.17 pts vs national
2.3%Denial rate (decided applications)-20.33 pts vs national
77.9%Origination rate+19.91 pts vs national
18.2%Withdrawn by applicant
1.4%Closed for incompleteness
6.63%Median interest rate0.00 pts vs national
0.35Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.09 pts vs national
$345,000Median loan amount
$8,360Median total loan costs
$117kMedian applicant income
90%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the A grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 101 large mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

98th2.3% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

43rd0.35 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

45th19.7%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

57th2.42% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
202320,87315,8502.2%2.8%6.88%$5.6B
202422,03717,2461.9%2.3%6.75%$6.6B
202524,27518,9201.8%2.3%6.63%$7.3B

What NFM 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 20,933 86% · 1.8% denied
Refinance 1,933 8% · 1.8% denied
Cash-out refinance 968 4% · 2.1% denied
Other / HELOC 441 2% · 2.3% denied

By loan type

Conventional 15,931 66% · 1.4% denied
FHA 6,020 25% · 3.3% denied
VA 2,256 9% · 0.8% denied
USDA / RHS 68 0% · 4.4% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 310 manufactured homes, 2,383 investment properties.

Why NFM denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 440 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 161 37%
Collateral 88 20%
Credit history 57 13%
Other 38 9%
Insufficient cash 37 8%
Unverifiable information 35 8%
Employment history 24 5%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at NFM

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k1,0056609.5%
$50k – $100k7,8116,0552.6%
$100k – $150k6,3165,0351.7%
$150k – $250k5,1094,0911.0%
Over $250k2,6622,1171.2%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under 251,4211,1402.1%
25–347,9136,3281.6%
35–446,5985,1292.4%
45–544,1363,1902.8%
55–642,6682,0013.2%
65–741,1518443.0%
Over 743882882.4%

Where NFM lends

50 states and 1,073 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Ohio4,3703,3081.1%6.75%#24
Maryland2,8312,2551.4%6.63%#15
Florida2,5912,0003.2%6.25%#79
Virginia1,5881,3101.5%6.63%#55
North Carolina1,4121,1371.5%6.49%#66
Texas1,4011,0552.0%6.75%#140
New Jersey1,3541,0512.9%6.63%#55
Arizona1,0128971.2%4.99%#72
Washington1,0008432.0%6.63%#61
Colorado8026590.6%6.25%#73
Georgia7205113.5%6.75%#118
Rhode Island5564591.6%6.75%#18
California5294161.0%6.00%#254
Pennsylvania4823693.5%6.75%#161
Illinois4712631.1%6.88%#135
Idaho3412491.5%6.25%#66
Connecticut3132494.2%6.63%#74
Massachusetts2972481.4%6.63%#119
Hawaii2962351.4%6.99%#23
Kentucky2842041.1%6.88%#113
Tennessee2811992.1%6.75%#169
Alabama2431801.7%6.38%#139
South Carolina2371800.8%6.75%#167
Delaware120950.8%6.63%#74
District of Columbia98774.1%6.63%#47
Michigan97732.1%6.75%#279
Wisconsin90711.1%6.75%#266
West Virginia89713.4%6.75%#99
Arkansas84623.6%6.88%#165
Indiana69410.0%6.75%#313
Missouri52341.9%6.88%#341
Oklahoma23180.0%6.81%#323
Louisiana1790.0%6.75%#325
Maine17100.0%7.19%#181
Oregon14127.1%6.62%#326
Kansas1390.0%6.63%#333
Minnesota13100.0%6.75%#435
New Hampshire13130.0%6.99%#230
Mississippi1270.0%6.88%#277
Iowa1190.0%7.13%#343
Nevada10610.0%6.81%#317
New Mexico540.0%7.31%#318

Frequently asked questions

NFM denied 2.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 98th percentile of large mortgage lenders.

The most common reason NFM gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 36.6% 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 NFM originated in 2025 was 6.63%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.35 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 86% of its applications were for home purchases, 12% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 2% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 66% conventional, 25% 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 NFM. Data sources · Methodology