Mortgage lender · Cloquet, MN · LEI 549300KGWK2C69R8ZN27

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

Northwoods earns a D, weaker than most small mortgage lenders. It turned down 25.1% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 12th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 1.82 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 3rd percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

204Applications2025
64.2%Originatedof applications
25.1%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
7.75%Median ratenational 6.63%
$11MLoan volume3 states

Northwoods at a glance, 2025

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

24.5%Denial rate (all applications)+6.53 pts vs national
25.1%Denial rate (decided applications)+2.54 pts vs national
64.2%Origination rate+6.19 pts vs national
2.0%Withdrawn by applicant
0.5%Closed for incompleteness
7.75%Median interest rate+1.13 pts vs national
1.82Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+1.57 pts vs national
$75,000Median loan amount
$589Median total loan costs
$78kMedian applicant income
56%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the D 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%

12th25.1% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

3rd1.82 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

88th2.5%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

89th0.79% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20231778835.0%36.9%8.50%$6.1M
20241808833.3%35.1%9.00%$8.0M
202520413124.5%25.1%7.75%$11M

What Northwoods 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 49 24% · 51.0% denied
Refinance 9 4% · 55.6% denied
Cash-out refinance 56 27% · 17.9% denied
Home improvement 55 27% · 9.1% denied
Other / HELOC 35 17% · 14.3% denied

By loan type

Conventional 203 100% · 24.1% denied
FHA 1 0% · 100.0% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 28 manufactured homes, 2 investment properties.

Why Northwoods denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 50 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Credit history 22 44%
Debt-to-income ratio 15 30%
Collateral 6 12%
Other 4 8%
Employment history 2 4%
Unverifiable information 1 2%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at Northwoods

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k322128.1%
$50k – $100k1006029.9%
$100k – $150k443211.4%
$150k – $250k251725.0%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–34341250.0%
35–44634129.0%
45–54392421.6%
55–64352811.4%
65–7426227.7%

Where Northwoods lends

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

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Minnesota18413116.3%7.75%#141

Frequently asked questions

Northwoods denied 25.1% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 12th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason Northwoods gave in 2025 was "credit history", cited on 44.0% 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 Northwoods originated in 2025 was 7.75%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 1.82 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 24% of its applications were for home purchases, 32% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 44% 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 Northwoods. Data sources · Methodology