Cardinal Financial Company Reviews Resources A High-Octane 2023

Cardinal Financial Company Reviews Resources A High-Octane 2023

Most helpful negative review Started out great, then became disorganized. Unresponsive to calls, emails, and text messages. “Lost” the closing paperwork the day of closing. We don’t have rates available from Cardinal Financial Mortgage.

Fast-forward to present-day and Cardinal Financial is still the same group of innovative thinkers who want to turn the mortgage industry on its …

Quick and smooth refinance with a great rate I got a refinance from Cardinal. All the process was very smooth. And I am satisfied with their terms (20 years) and rate. My new loan just closed this month. Cardinal Financial is literally the best company to work for. They appreciate you as a person and want to help you grow and succeed within the company.

The …Cardinal Financial Company Reviews · A Great Place To Work! · culture · Great employer with great mission and values · Culture is EVERYTHING! 27 reviews of Cardinal Financial “These guys are the worst. Do NOT … Would definitely not recommend the company based on a nightmare experience with them.

Cardinal Financial overview

Cardinal Financial, also doing business as Sebonic Financial, is a mortgage lender that has both physical branches and online capabilities. The lender is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and was founded in 1987. It offers conventional loans, jumbo loans, refinancing and government-sponsored FHA, USDA and VA loans, and provides mortgages in all 50 states. It also offers disaster relief home financing, construction loans, manufactured home loans, tiny home and container home loans.

Cardinal Financial offers prequalification and preapproval to speed up the process for borrowers, and its proprietary technology, Octane, guides borrowers through an efficient, streamlined home loan process, from displaying loan options (including closing costs) to loan status and more. Borrowers can also e-sign using the platform. Borrowers have closed in as few as seven days, according to the lender’s website, with the average closing taking 30 days.

Loan types

Conventional
Jumbo
Fixed-rate
Adjustable-rate (ARM)
FHA
USDA
VA
Rate-and-term refinancing
Cash-out refinancing
Disaster relief home financing
Construction home loans
Manufactured home loans
Tiny home loans
Container home loans

Lender fees

Cardinal Financial does not provide lender fee information.

Minimum borrower requirements

Cardinal Financial follows Fannie Mae’s underwriting guidelines, which means borrowers need a minimum credit score of 620 and can put as little as 3 percent down. Borrowers also can have a maximum debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, of 50 percent with a Fannie Mae HomeReady Mortgage. That means the sum of your monthly debts (including the new mortgage payment) cannot exceed 50 percent of your gross monthly income.

Cardinal Financial offers jumbo loans with a 10 percent down payment and minimum credit scores of 660 and maximum loan amounts of $3 million. Fixed-rate, adjustable-rate and interest-only adjustable-rate loans are available for primary residence, a second home or an investment property.

Other mortgage lender reviews:

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Churchill Mortgage Review

One of the “most senior lenders in the industry,” in their own words, is Charlotte, North Carolina-based Cardinal Financial.

The retail mortgage lender has been around since 1987, truly making them one of the veterans in the mortgage space.

After all, a lot of newcomers, while perhaps large and growing, only formed around the time of the mortgage crisis in 2006.

Cardinal Financial, on the other hand, has some 30+ years under their belt, but that hasn’t stopped them from innovating and adopting new technologies.

In fact, they even have an Alexa skill (search for Cardinal Financial) that provides hands-free answers to dozens of everyday mortgage questions. Credit to them for helping their potential customers get smarter.

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Cardinal Financial Fast Facts

Direct-to-consumer mortgage lender based in Charlotte, NC
Founded in 1987, 118 branch locations nationwide
Licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
Funded nearly $8 billion in home loans during 2019
On their way to being a top-25 mortgage lender nationally
Also operate a wholesale lending division for mortgage brokers

Cardinal Financial is a direct-to-consumer mortgage lender with 118 branches nationwide.

They are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which is a somewhat rare feat unless we’re talking about the largest mortgage lenders in the nation.

As it stands, they’re a top-40 mortgage lender with aspirations to perhaps land in the top-25 at some point.

While they do a lot of business all across the nation, their biggest state based on volume in 2019 was Texas, followed by California, Tennessee, Washington, and Nevada.

Cardinal Financial Mortgage Review: A High-Octane Mortgage Lender 2023

About half of their total volume was for home purchase financing, so it’s clear they’ve got a good relationship with real estate agents.

They also operate a wholesale lending division for mortgage brokers, so it’s possible to obtain a mortgage from Cardinal Financial indirectly if your broker is approved to work with them.

Lastly, they operate a digital startup division known as Sebonic Financial, which appears to be their online-only mortgage department.

How to Get a Mortgage with Cardinal Financial

You can call them up directly, request a free rate quote, or connect with a loan officer online
They offer a digital mortgage application and loan process known as Octane
Allows you to apply online, e-sign documents, and track loan progress 24/7
Generates a personalized to-do list so you know what needs to be done to get to the finish line

Once you visit the Cardinal Financial website, you can search for a loan officer by name or by location, or simply request a free rate quote.

You can also call them up over the phone if you’d prefer to get things started that way.

If you go the online route, first you select a loan officer, then you can visit their personal website and apply for a home loan instantly. Cardinal Financial relies upon its proprietary home loan platform known as “Octane,” which as the name implies is built for speed.

Their goal is to make getting a mortgage both faster and easier by eliminating common pain points and leveraging technology. This means you can apply online, upload files on your to-do list, and securely e-sign documents instead of having to rely on email or a fax machine.

You’re also able to compare loan options, mortgage rates, and closing costs in detail, side-by-side, to determine what’s best for your situation. And once approved, you can monitor loan progress and receive live updates as each loan milestone is completed.

Those who aren’t totally sold on technology always have the option of connecting with their loan officer as well, so there’s still a human touch as well.

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Types of Mortgages Offered by Cardinal Financial

Home purchase, refinance, renovation, and construction loans
Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Government home loans backed by the FHA, USDA, and VA
Jumbo loans up to $3 million loan amounts
Disaster relief loans
Down payment assistance
Community Lending programs
Manufactured home loans
Container and Tiny Home loans
Fixed-rate mortgages and ARMs with terms from 10 to 30 years

When it comes to financing options, Cardinal Financial has a ton. You can get a home purchase loan, refinance loan (rate and term or cash out), renovation loans like an FHA 203k, or a construction loan. They offer conventional home loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with government-backed mortgages like FHA loans, USDA loans, and VA loans.

Those purchasing or refinancing a particularly expensive property can take out a jumbo home loan up to $3 million. And they’ve also got affordable Community Lending loan programs, down payment assistance, and disaster relief loans.

But wait, there’s more. They offer manufactured home loans (single-width, multi-width, and modular homes), and get this, Tiny Home loans for those really small houses that are on-trend. Or perhaps were trendy…

They even provide financing to those who call a shipping container home, because hey, why not?

With regard to specific loan programs, you can get a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable-rate mortgage in terms from 10 to 30 years. So no matter what you’re buying or refinancing, Cardinal Financial should have you pretty well covered.

Cardinal Financial Mortgage Rates

While advertised mortgage rates are just that, advertised rates, it’s still nice to see them. And like many other lenders, Cardinal Financial doesn’t advertise them on their website.

This is always a bit of a letdown, but not necessarily a deal breaker. It just means you’ll need to get their pricing and compare it to other lenders you shop with.

The same goes for lender fees, which don’t seem to appear on their website.

It’s important to know what they charge, such as underwriting fees, processing fees, application fees, loan origination, and so on to get a complete picture.

Only then will you know how competitive they are relative to other mortgage lender out there.

Cardinal Financial Reviews

On Zillow, they have a 4.93 rating out of 5 based on over 3,000 customer reviews. Many of the reviews I scanned said the interest rate as lower than expected, which is a positive.

If you’re looking for information about a specific loan officer, Zillow allows you to filter by that individual’s name. On LendingTree, they’ve got a 4.7 rating out of 5 on over 1,600 reviews, and on SocialSurvey a 4.89-star rating out of 5 on more than 3,500 reviews.

So it’s pretty clear they come highly-rated across all the major review sites. They have also been a Better Business Bureau accredited company since 2014, and currently enjoy an A+ rating.

Surprisingly, they also have very good customer reviews on the BBB website, which is somewhat rare of just about any company.

At last glance, they had 4.5 stars based on nearly 200 reviews from their customers. There are complaints too, which is normal, but typically BBB ratings aren’t so high.

Cardinal Financial Pros and Cons

The Good

Can apply for a mortgage online
Proprietary digital mortgage process known as Octane
Plenty of loan programs to choose from including unique offerings
Lots of good reviews and BBB-accredited
Licensed in all 50 states and DC
Modern and easy-to-use website
Free mortgage calculator and mortgage glossary

The Potential Bad

Do not disclose mortgage rates on their website
No mention of lender fees on their website
No smartphone app
They don’t service their own loans

Is Cardinal Financial a direct lender?

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Cardinal Financial is a nationwide direct mortgage lender that provides modernized home financing solutions. Since 1987, we’ve been committed to facilitating a lending experience of unrivaled transparency, simplicity, and value.

How long has Cardinal financial been in business?

Cardinal Financial was originally founded in 1987 and proudly serves as one of the most senior leaders in the industry.

Is Cardinal Financial a good company to work for?

Cardinal Financial is literally the best company to work for. They appreciate you as a person and want to help you grow and succeed within the company. The culture and the people are amazing! The worst professional job I’ve ever taken, avoid at all cost.

Is Cardinal Financial a bank?

Cardinal Financial, also doing business as Sebonic Financial, is a mortgage lender that has both physical branches and online capabilities. The lender is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 1987