Chase is a nationally recognized financial institution, and the strength of its mortgage process truly reflects that. Chase Home Lending offers mortgages for just about any type of borrower, with specialized programs designed for those with below-average credit and limited funds for down payments.
Want to make sure you’re getting the best rate?
No matter what kind of home loan you’re looking for, find out what Chase offers and what you can expect from the application process.
Chase Mortgage Application Requirements
Chase Home Lending has quite an array of mortgage products, so the application requirements vary depending on what kind of loan you’re looking for. Typically, government-sponsored mortgages, like an FHA loan or VA loan, come with lower credit requirements than a conventional mortgage.
The lowest credit score Chase accepts is 620, but again, you may need a higher score to qualify for a certain mortgage or a better interest rate.
Many mortgages only require down payments starting at 3%. Just remember that anything under 20% usually requires private mortgage insurance, which is added to your monthly mortgage payment.
You can live anywhere in the U.S. to qualify for a Chase mortgage. While there are branches in 22 states across the country, you can apply for a mortgage online or over the phone no matter where you live.
Finally, you don’t have to have an existing bank account with Chase to apply for a mortgage. However, if you do, you can qualify for some nice discounts (more on that soon).
Types of Home Loans Available from Chase Mortgage
Chase Home Lending borrowers can access both purchase and refinance options. Available mortgage products include conventional loans, jumbo loans, home equity loans, FHA loans, and VA loans. There are also two other low down payment loans available: the Agency Affordable loan and the DreaMaker mortgage.
Here’s a brief rundown of each of the loan types available through Chase.
Conventional Loans:
A conventional loan is usually aimed at borrowers with better credit. Depending on your credit score, you may qualify for a down payment as low as 5% of your purchase price. You’re also able to take advantage of competitive interest rates for 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. These can be either fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, depending on your preference.
Jumbo Loans:
Also available from Chase is a jumbo loan, which finances high-cost properties up to $3 million. Borrowers typically use these for one of two reasons. First, it’s a way to finance a luxury home in any area. Alternatively, it can also be used by people who live in high-cost areas where homes are often priced area than the conforming loan limit of $510,400.
Government Loans:
If you’re interested in government-sponsored loan programs, you may find what you’re looking for from Chase. They offer both FHA loans (insured by the Federal Housing Administration) and VA mortgages (guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs).
An FHA home loan comes with few credit restrictions, as well as the opportunity to use a lower down payment. A VA home loan is designed specifically for veterans and active service military members and requires no down payment at all.
Agency Affordable Loans:
This is a Chase-specific mortgage program. You can qualify with a credit score of 680 or better, and it only requires a 3% down payment. You also don’t have to worry about an income limit, but you do need mortgage insurance to qualify for this one.
On the plus side, you can earn a $500 credit simply by taking a home buyer education course. You may also be eligible for a $1,500 home buyer grant if you live in one of Chase’s select markets.
DreaMaker Loans:
The DreaMaker mortgage also allows for flexible credit and down payment requirements. For borrowers with a 620 credit score or better, you can make a 5% down payment with this mortgage loan. If your score is at least 680, you can pay just a 3% down payment. The benefit of this home loan is that the mortgage insurance and monthly payments are lower.
Chase Mortgage Rates and Fees
Expect to pay a few different fees when you get your mortgage through Chase Bank. Standard charges include:
- Rate lock fee
- Origination fee
- Underwriting fee
These are all usually included in your closing costs. If you want to lower your interest rate, you can also pay for discount points.
There’s also a way to get around some of these extra costs.
For Chase customers with either a personal deposit account or an investment account, you can access discounts on both your closing costs and your mortgage rate. This includes HELOC rate discounts.
Chase’s Mortgage Process
Chase offers a vast amount of flexibility for the mortgage process. To start your application, you can provide your information online, in person, or over the phone to a Chase home lending advisor. You can start with just a basic prequalification online to get an idea of what kind of loan and interest rates you can qualify for.
Alternatively, you can jump straight into the mortgage application.
As with any mortgage application process, Chase requires personal and financial information to move your loan onto closing. You’ll need to supply your Social Security number and two months of both pay stubs and bank statements. Additionally, expect to submit two years of W-2 forms and at least the last year of your federal tax returns.
Once you’re under contract on a specific property, you’ll also need to send Chase a copy of the signed contract. Finally, you may need to provide information on your current debt. This can be anything from car loans to student loans, and of course, credit cards.
Closing time can vary when you’re getting a new mortgage, but Chase is known for working with borrowers to get you in your house on a timeline that works for you.
Special Features
Chase truly shines when it comes to offering homebuyers countless resources in multiple formats. Online you’ll find mortgage calculators, guides, checklists, timelines, and even YouTube videos. There’s plenty to choose from, especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer with lots of questions.
But really, this information is helpful no matter how often you’ve bought or sold a home.
Chase is also transparent about where interest rates currently stand. Even though rates can fluctuate day by day, Chase’s mortgage website is updated regularly, so you know a baseline of what to expect for different types of loans.
Chase Mortgage Reviews
One of the best ways to research mortgage lenders is by reading third-party reviews. You can discover what actual customers are saying about them before you choose to do business with them.
Chase Mortgage currently has a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of A+, which indicates great customer service. They also have very few complaints. You can find more Chase Mortgage reviews at other review sites as well.
Bottom Line
Chase Bank is the third-largest mortgage lender in the nation. And that shows considering the breadth of resources and flexibility in contract options for borrowers entering the mortgage application process. As a big player, they will inevitably have some complaints, but most customer service reviews are positive.
If you’re already a Chase customer, definitely consider them first since you can access various discounts on both closing costs and interest rates. But even if you’re not a Chase customer, you could still end up preferring a mortgage with Chase, thanks to their in-depth support system and variety of mortgage programs.