Southern First Bank at a glance, 2025
Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.
How the B 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%
42nd12.6% deniedPricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%
65th0.17 ptsProcesswithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%
77th11.4%Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%
83rd1.41% of loanTrend, 2023–2025
| Year | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Decision denial | Median rate | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,516 | 1,142 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 6.99% | $421M |
| 2024 | 1,655 | 1,119 | 17.3% | 20.2% | 7.13% | $405M |
| 2025 | 1,770 | 1,341 | 11.1% | 12.6% | 6.88% | $561M |
What Southern First 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
By loan type
Also: 546 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 7 manufactured homes, 130 investment properties.
Why Southern First Bank denies applications
Primary reason reported for each of the 197 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.
Who gets approved at Southern First Bank
Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.
| Applicant income | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 85 | 26 | 67.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 373 | 255 | 23.9% |
| $100k – $150k | 332 | 256 | 10.1% |
| $150k – $250k | 347 | 273 | 3.8% |
| Over $250k | 527 | 448 | 2.8% |
| Applicant age | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 84 | 51 | 29.7% |
| 25–34 | 430 | 317 | 15.2% |
| 35–44 | 427 | 315 | 15.0% |
| 45–54 | 351 | 274 | 9.6% |
| 55–64 | 237 | 175 | 11.4% |
| 65–74 | 119 | 99 | 4.8% |
| Over 74 | 52 | 47 | 4.1% |
Where Southern First Bank lends
18 states and 122 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.
| State | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 1,204 | 1,030 | 1.7% | 6.88% | #48 |
| Georgia | 194 | 138 | 4.6% | 6.88% | #252 |
| North Carolina | 187 | 154 | 3.7% | 7.00% | #237 |
| Florida | 8 | 6 | 0.0% | 7.31% | #987 |
Frequently asked questions
Southern First Bank denied 12.6% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 42nd percentile of mid-size mortgage lenders.
The most common reason Southern First Bank gave in 2025 was "credit history", cited on 47.2% 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 Southern First Bank originated in 2025 was 6.88%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.17 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.
In 2025, 60% of its applications were for home purchases, 19% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 21% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 90% conventional, 8% 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.