Mortgage lender · Chicago, IL · LEI 549300YAYQAARPBTRA72

Proper Rate review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

Proper Rate earns a B, better than most small mortgage lenders. It turned down 4.0% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 78th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.36 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 39th percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

447Applications2025
51.9%Originatedof applications
4.0%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.95%Median ratenational 6.63%
$101MLoan volume13 states

Proper Rate at a glance, 2025

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

2.2%Denial rate (all applications)-15.74 pts vs national
4.0%Denial rate (decided applications)-18.59 pts vs national
51.9%Origination rate-6.13 pts vs national
32.7%Withdrawn by applicant
11.4%Closed for incompleteness
6.95%Median interest rate+0.33 pts vs national
0.36Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.10 pts vs national
$375,000Median loan amount
$6,530Median total loan costs
$166kMedian applicant income
80%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the B 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%

78th4.0% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

39th0.36 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

1st44.1%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

57th1.74% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20232,1301,3862.4%3.6%6.75%$548M
20242,5361,6892.0%2.8%6.85%$766M
20254472322.2%4.0%6.95%$101M

What Proper Rate 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 342 77% · 1.8% denied
Refinance 68 15% · 0.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 33 7% · 9.1% denied
Home improvement 2 0% · 0.0% denied
Other / HELOC 2 0% · 50.0% denied

By loan type

Conventional 408 91% · 2.0% denied
FHA 28 6% · 7.1% denied
VA 11 2% · 0.0% denied

Also: 4 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 1 manufactured homes, 23 investment properties.

Why Proper Rate denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 10 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 3 30%
Credit history 3 30%
Collateral 3 30%
Unverifiable information 1 10%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at Proper Rate

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
$50k – $100k82464.1%
$100k – $150k98614.6%
$150k – $250k122603.2%
Over $250k130603.0%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–34146821.2%
35–44136791.2%
45–5480367.5%
55–64461618.2%
65–7421110.0%

Where Proper Rate lends

13 states and 41 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Illinois3771942.4%6.90%#158
Indiana24144.2%7.00%#435
Michigan1570.0%7.25%#475
California1240.0%6.88%#710
Wisconsin850.0%7.38%#520

Frequently asked questions

Proper Rate denied 4.0% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 78th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason Proper Rate gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 30.0% 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 Proper Rate originated in 2025 was 6.95%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.36 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 77% of its applications were for home purchases, 23% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 1% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 91% conventional, 6% FHA, 2% 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 Proper Rate. Data sources · Methodology