SoFi Home Loans Reviews
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About SoFi Home Loans
SoFi (NMLS #1121636 and #696891) is an online personal finance company. It offers a variety of financial products and services, including fixed-rate home loans with terms ranging from 10 to 30 years and down payments as low as 3%. SoFi also provides rate-and-term refinancing and cash-out refinancing for eligible homeowners. Mortgages are available in every state except Hawaii, and the company doesn’t offer refinancing in New York.
Pros & Cons
- Online application process
- $2,000 on-time closing guarantee
- Pre-qualifications available
- Down payments as low as 3% for first-time buyers
- No adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)
- No government-backed mortgages, like FHA or VA loans
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Read full reviewRates
SoFi offers only fixed-rate mortgages, and its current interest rates vary based on the length of your loan. These rates are published and updated daily on SoFi’s website.
For a more accurate look at what your rates may be, you can also use its mortgage rate calculator, which gives you a look at what your rates could look like based on your location, loan and down payment amounts, property type and credit score.
Since 2019, SoFi’s average rates for home purchase loans have been at least 0.13% below the national average, with 2021 seeing average home interest rates that were 0.23% lower. This can be significant, as a slightly lower interest rate could save you thousands over the lifetime of your loan.
SoFi Home Loans average home purchase rate vs. national average
Year | Difference from national average |
---|---|
2021 | -0.23% |
2020 | -0.13% |
2019 | -0.15% |
Application process
SoFi Home Loans doesn’t have any physical branches, so most of the application process is done online. You can get pre-qualified for a loan on SoFi’s website to check what rates and terms you qualify for. This process will involve a soft credit pull (so it won’t affect your credit score), but your results are subject to change once an actual hard credit pull is done.
During the pre-qualification process, SoFi will ask questions about where you are in the application process, your loan and down payment amount, your Social Security number and more.
If the rates and terms you pre-qualify for match what you’re looking for, you can continue through the full application process. However, certain parts of this process can’t be done online, like signing documents.
As an added benefit, SoFi also offers an On-Time Close Guarantee, which reimburses you $2,000 if SoFi delays your closing beyond the scheduled date in your purchase contract.
A ConsumerAffairs reviewer from South Carolina had this to say about their experience with SoFi:
“I started with a loan consolidation and it was a great process. I waited about a year and applied for a mortgage. It also was a wonderful experience. … SoFi is a great company from everything I have seen, and I’ve had numerous communications with their employees.”
SoFi Home Loans application features
Features | Availability |
---|---|
Online application | |
Mobile document upload | Undisclosed |
Physical branches | X |
Publishes minimum rate on website | |
Rate lock | Up to 90 days |
Pre-qualification (no hard credit pull) | |
Certified approval letter | X |
Loan types
SoFi offers 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with down payments as low as 3%. Its offerings also include jumbo loans for up to $3 million with as little as 10% down. However, it doesn’t work with any government-backed loan programs, so it doesn’t provide FHA, VA or USDA loans.
SoFi denied about a quarter of all applications for home purchase loans between 2019 and 2021.
Loan applications for home purchases only by year
2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|
Home purchase applications | 2,498 | 1,483 | 1,020 |
Home purchase loans closed | 887 | 447 | 301 |
Home purchase applications denied | 506 | 387 | 325 |
Home purchase preapprovals denied | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Refinancing
Refinancing is the bulk of SoFi’s business, making up more than 80% of its loans originated since 2019. SoFi offers both rate-and-term and cash-out refinances, with rate-and-term loans generally being its more popular option.
Refinancing became more popular in 2020 and 2021 when interest rates hit historic lows, incentivizing many homeowners to refinance. When rates are low, mortgage refinancing can be a good idea because it may help you get better terms or rates, potentially saving you significant money on interest. However, rate increases throughout 2022 may slow this trend.
Home purchase vs. refinance loans by year
2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|
Home purchase loans | 9.41% | 6.33% | 13.54% |
Refinance loans | 51.87% | 67.15% | 54.84% |
Cash-out refinance | 38.32% | 26.51% | 31.62% |
Requirements
You may be eligible for a conforming conventional loan from SoFi with a down payment as low as 3% (5% if you’re not a first-time buyer) and a debt-to-income ratio (DTI) of up to 50%. Your DTI represents your amount of debt in relation to your gross income. Lenders often use DTI to determine your borrowing ability. The general rule of thumb is that you should have a DTI below 43% with most lenders, so the fact that SoFi’s requirement is 50% may help borrowers with more debt.
In addition to your down payment and DTI, SoFi will look at things like your credit score (620 is a typical minimum in the industry), property eligibility and employment status.
National mortgage requirements by type
Min. credit score | Min. down payment | Compare with other lenders | |
---|---|---|---|
Conventional | Typically 620 | Typically 3% | Mortgage lenders |
Cost and fees
SoFi isn’t forthcoming about its mortgage fees. The company doesn’t charge prepayment penalties, but it does charge lender fees. You’ll likely also have to pay additional closing costs, such as an appraisal fee, title fee and credit report fees.
SoFi offers a 3% down payment program, but it’s only available for qualifying first-time homebuyers. All other borrowers are required to put down at least 5% (10% on jumbo loans).
FAQ
What is SoFi?
SoFi is a digital finance company that offers multiple products and services, including:
- Banking
- Personal loans
- Credit insights
- Student loan refinancing
- Private student loans
- Investing
- Home loans
- Credit cards
- Insurance
- Auto loan refinancing
Is SoFi legit?
SoFi is licensed as a lender in most of the U.S., and it has funded over $50 billion in loans. At the time of publishing, SoFi has a 3.9-star overall satisfaction rating on ConsumerAffairs.
SoFi was fined $110,000 in 2019 for operating as a mortgage servicer in Pennsylvania without a license. It has since received a mortgage servicer license in that state.
Where are SoFi home loans available?
SoFi offers home purchase loans in every state except Hawaii and refinancing in every state except Hawaii and New York.
SoFi Home Loans Reviews
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- 4,534,748 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Sources
- Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), “ HMDA Dataset Filtering .” Accessed September 12, 2022.
- Freddie Mac, “ 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages Since 1971 .” Accessed September 12, 2022.
- NMLS Consumer Access, “ SoFi Lending Corp .” Accessed September 12, 2022.
- NMLS Consumer Access, “ SoFi Bank, National Association .” Accessed September 12, 2022.
SoFi Home Loans Company Information
- Company Name:
- SoFi Home Loans
- Website:
- www.sofi.com