Universal Lending · California · 2025

Universal Lending in California: approval rate, denial rate and rates (2025)

Universal Lending took 449 mortgage applications in California in 2025, ranking #274 of 1,147 lenders active in the state. It originated 85.1% of them and denied 4.0% (4.5% of the applications it decided), against a statewide denial rate of 17.4%.

449Applicationsin CA
4.5%Decision denial ratestate 22.4%
4.99%Median ratestate 6.63%
$565,000Median loanstate $385,000
$211MVolume8 counties

Universal Lending in California vs the state

4.0%Denial rate-13.41 pts vs state
4.5%Decision denial rate-17.90 pts vs state
85.1%Origination rate+28.88 pts vs state
4.99%Median rate-1.63 pts vs state
-1.10Rate spread (pts)-1.38 pts vs state
$174kMedian applicant income
382Loans originated
18Denied

Trend in California

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
202418130.0%5.50%#642
20254493824.0%4.99%#274

What Universal Lending lends in California

By loan purpose

Home purchase 449 100% · 4.0% denied

By loan type

Conventional 342 76% · 4.4% denied
FHA 89 20% · 1.1% denied
VA 18 4% · 11.1% denied

Why it denied California applicants

Debt-to-income ratio 12 67%
Unverifiable information 3 17%
Credit history 2 11%
Collateral 1 6%

Where in California

Counties with the most Universal Lending applications in 2025.

CountyApplicationsOriginatedDeniedDenial rate
Riverside County 1871675 2.7%
Sacramento County 1521275 3.3%
Placer County 39246 15.4%
Los Angeles County 34311 2.9%
El Dorado County 14111 7.1%
San Bernardino County 990 0.0%
Orange County 990 0.0%
San Joaquin County 540 0.0%

Other large lenders in California

LenderGradeApplicationsDenial rateMedian rate
United Shore Financial ServicesB 79,26112.6%6.49%
Rocket MortgageC 58,92517.6%6.75%
Bank of AmericaF 40,19030.8%5.99%
U.S. BankD 32,49331.6%6.50%
JPMorgan Chase BankB 22,0489.7%6.13%
Spring EqD 21,60150.8%8.88%
SchoolsfirstA 19,08610.0%6.25%
Pennymac Loan ServicesC 18,75413.5%6.50%
NewrezD 17,00019.3%6.63%
Loandepot.ComD 16,64518.7%6.63%

Frequently asked questions

California: 449 applications in 2025, of which 382 were originated and 18 denied.

4.0% of all applications, or 4.5% of the applications it actually decided on. The California statewide average across all lenders was 17.4%.

The median rate on loans Universal Lending originated in California in 2025 was 4.99%, against a statewide median of 6.63%.

About this data. Figures are Universal Lending's own HMDA filing for properties located in California, 2025. The grade is national; state-level figures are shown for context and are not separately graded. Methodology