Churchill Mortgage review: A debt-conscious lender that will appeal to Dave Ramsey fans

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The bottom line: Churchill Mortgage is a solid option for borrowers with no credit score or followers of Dave Ramsey’s financial advice. But its mortgages for people without credit scores take much longer to close than its other mortgages, which could be a problem if you need to close quickly. These No Score mortgages also take longer to close than similar mortgages offered by other lenders.

Types of Loans Offered

Conforming, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, No Score mortgage

Types of Loans Offered

Conforming, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, No Score mortgage Pros

Cons

More Information

Overall lender rating Pros and cons Churchill Mortgage interest rates

Churchill Mortgage doesn’t display any rates on its site. If you want to see what your rate might be with this lender, you’ll need to apply for a mortgage or talk to a loan officer.

Its reasoning for not posting rates is that sample rates can be misleading, since your actual rate will depend on your situation. While it’s true that the rate you end up with will likely be different from the rate a lender advertises online, many mortgage lenders display sample rates to give potential borrowers an idea of the range of rates they offer. Some lenders will even let you customize rates based on different factors like your credit score and location.

Churchill Mortgage vs. Carrington Mortgage Services

Both of these lenders have really strong specialty mortgage options for borrowers who might otherwise struggle to qualify for a mortgage. Carrington Mortgage Services’ Flexible Advantage mortgage is geared toward homebuyers with credit scores as low as 550 or recent events like bankruptcy on their credit reports. Churchill Mortgage’s No Score mortgage, on the other hand, is geared toward homebuyers who have no score.

Churchill Mortgage is a good option for borrowers who have avoided taking on debt or paid off all their debt and as a result have no credit score. For borrowers who do have credit scores but rocky credit histories, Carrington would likely be the better choice.

Carrington also estimates that its mortgages for borrowers with low scores typically close in 30 to 45 days, which is in line with the average closing time for all mortgages. Churchill’s No Score mortgages, on the other hand, can take three times longer to close than a traditional transaction.

Churchill Mortgage vs. Truist

Low-income borrowers can get a mortgage from Truist with just 3% down and no mortgage insurance through its Community Homeownership Incentive Program. Truist also has a more robust lineup of mortgage options, so if you’re looking for a HELOC, doctor mortgage, or construction-to-permanent mortgage, this lender will be the obvious choice of these two. 

Both Truist and Churchill mortgage accept alternative forms of credit from borrowers who don’t have a credit score.

How Churchill Mortgage works

You can get started with Churchill Mortgage online or over the phone. Once you apply, you’ll be able to see what kind of rates this lender can offer you and lock in a rate for up to 90 days.

Churchill also has a Certified Home Buyer Program that offers a slightly stronger approval than a standard preapproval. With this program, an underwriter reviews your application and issues a conditional approval.

Having a preapproval in hand when you make an offer on a house is important because it shows sellers that you have the funds to back up your bid. Having a preapproval that’s been underwritten upfront may help your offer stand out among buyers with standard preapprovals.

Churchill Mortgage doesn’t lend in Hawaii or New York.

If you want to get a conforming or FHA mortgage with this lender, you’ll need at least a 620 credit score. Churchill Mortgage doesn’t list minimum scores for its VA or USDA mortgages online. Conforming mortgages require a down payment of at least 3%; FHA mortgages require 3.5%. VA and USDA mortgage borrowers aren’t required to make a down payment.

If you don’t have a credit score, you may qualify for a No Score mortgage from Churchill with non-traditional credit. To be approved for one of these mortgages, you’ll need to provide statements for at least four different accounts showing that you’ve made on-time payments for the last 12 months. Acceptable forms of non-traditional credit include cell phone or utility bills, insurance payments, school tuition, child care payments, or rent. 

Keep in mind that getting a No Score mortgage can take significantly longer to close than a traditional mortgage. Churchill says that it can take at least 60 days for a borrower to be approved for a No Score mortgage.

Churchill’s No Score mortgages also take longer to close than some similar mortgages offered by other lenders. Guild Mortgage, for example, says that its average closing time is 30 to 45 days regardless of whether a borrower has low or no credit. Carrington Mortgage Services also estimates a closing time of 30 to 45 days for low credit borrowers, but says that other variables, such as a required repair for an FHA mortgage, can impact how much time it takes. If you have no credit score or a low score and you want to close more quickly, you’d likely be better off with one of these lenders.

You can talk to Churchill Mortgage’s customer service over the phone or by using its online chat tool. You can also use its branch search feature to find a Churchill Mortgage branch near you. 

Is Churchill Mortgage trustworthy?

Churchill Mortgage currently has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. BBB grades are based on honesty in advertising, transparency about its business practices, and effectiveness in responding to customer complaints.

The company also has really great customer reviews, with a 4.96 star rating on its Zillow lender profile and a 4.9 star rating on Trustpilot.

Churchill Mortgage FAQ Is Churchill Mortgage owned by Dave Ramsey?

Dave Ramsey doesn’t own Churchill Mortgage, but it is the only mortgage lender he recommends. Ramsey preaches financial freedom through a debt-free lifestyle. If you don’t have a credit score because don’t have any debt, you can get a No Score mortgage with Churchill.

Does Churchill Mortgage do VA loans?

Churchill Mortgage does currently offer VA loans. If you’re eligible for this type of mortgage, you can get one from Churchill Mortgage with 0% down. 

What are Churchill Mortgage’s rates?

Churchill Mortgage doesn’t list its rates online. To see what you might pay with this lender, you’ll need to apply for a mortgage or speak with a loan officer.

Molly Grace

Mortgage Reporter

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