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Rocket Mortgage Review 2024

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At a glance

Rocket Mortgage
NMLS: 3030
Editor's take

Rocket Mortgage pioneered the all-online loan application, and it still sets the standard in many ways today, ranking second by J.D. Power for mortgage origination customer satisfaction in 2023. Still, while the lender offers conveniences like a seamless app and verified approval letters, its rates are often higher than those at banks and other lenders.

Bankrate Score
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4.6
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
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Customer Rating
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4.8
Rating: 4.83 stars out of 5

2,586 ratings

Mortgage Percent

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more

Credit Good

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 680 for jumbo loans, 580 for FHA loans, 580 for VA loans

Location

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

Dollar Coin

Min. down payment

3% for conventional loans, 10%-15% for jumbo loans, 3.5% for FHA, none for VA loans

At a glance

Rocket Mortgage

NMLS: 3030

4.6

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
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Bankrate Score

Mortgage Percent

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more

Location

Nationwide Availability

All U.S. states

Credit Good

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 680 for jumbo loans, 580 for FHA loans, 580 for VA loans

Rocket Mortgage overview

Rocket Mortgage is the leading mortgage lender in the U.S., closing $128 billion in loans in 2022. As the biggest mortgage originator, it handles large volumes of conventional loans, FHA mortgages and VA mortgages. Its offerings include a 1 percent conventional loan and an equity product to help homeowners take advantage of higher home values.
 
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Bankrate insight

Rocket Mortgage's Inflation Buster program is a temporary rate-buydown that lowers your monthly payments for the first year of the loan. However, it's only available to borrowers who meet qualifying criteria, including having an income of 80 percent or less than their area's median.
 

Pros and cons of Rocket Mortgage

Pros
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    Superior customer service, including chat and screen-sharing

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    Up to $10,000 rebate for buying and selling through affiliate Rocket Homes

Cons
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    No branch locations

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    No USDA loans

Our Editor’s Take on Rocket Mortgage

Rocket Mortgage pioneered the all-online loan application, and it still sets the standard in many ways today, ranking second by J.D. Power for mortgage origination customer satisfaction in 2023. Still, while the lender offers conveniences like a seamless app and verified approval letters, its rates are often higher than those at banks and other lenders.

How Bankrate scored Rocket Mortgage

  • Affordability: Rocket Mortgage’s rates consistently run above Bankrate’s averages, and you’ll pay some lender fees.
  • Availability: Rocket works with borrowers nationwide, and it recently added home equity loans to its product mix.
  • Borrower experience: J.D. Power gives the lender high marks for customer satisfaction, in part thanks to its all-digital mortgage process.

Affordability: 8.4/10

Rocket Mortgage isn’t the cheapest option out there. The lender’s advertised rates are often higher than Bankrate’s national averages, and you’ll also pay lender charges, such as origination and rate-lock fees.

Availability: 10/10

Rocket Mortgage lends in every state in the country, and offers a wide range of loan options that can serve just about every type of borrower. Plus, the lender accepts credit scores as low as 580 for FHA loans and VA loans, so those with subpar credit who are otherwise eligible for a loan could still qualify. The lender also offers the Fresh Start program to pair borrowers who need help improving their credit with financial consultants. The program is free and available by calling 800-769-6133.

Borrower experience: 9.3/10

While Rocket Mortgage does have its share of customer complaints, the lender ranks near the top for customer satisfaction in the mortgage industry, according to J.D. Power. The lender is also the gold standard as far as experience. If you have a regular job, every part of the mortgage application process can happen online (if you’re self-employed, you’ll need to connect with a human at some point). The lender has a mobile app that allows you to get preapproved, upload documents and e-sign from your phone. If you want additional assistance, the lender offers customer assistance via online chat seven days a week.

How to apply for a mortgage with Rocket Mortgage

You can apply for a mortgage with Rocket Mortgage online or by phone at 833-326-6018. Here are some tips to prepare for the process:

  1. Check your credit report. It’s important to check your credit report before your lender does, in case there are errors that could impact not only whether you get preapproved but also your ability to get the best mortgage rate. Knowing your credit score also helps you decide what type of loan to apply for. If your score is in the very low 600s, for instance, an FHA mortgage might be best for you, as its standards are more lenient than those for conventional loans.
  2. Gather personal and financial documents. With any lender, you must supply documentation about your income, assets and debts. This includes pay stubs and W-2s and account and loan statements.
  3. Provide details about the property. You’ll need to provide the address of the home and submit to an appraisal. (If you’re refinancing, you might or might not need an appraisal.)

Refinancing with Rocket Mortgage

Rocket Mortgage offers both rate-and-term and cash-out refinancing options.

Special programs offered by Rocket Mortgage

ONE+

When taking out a conventional loan, you’re required to put down at least 3 percent. If you’re eligible, Rocket’s ONE+ program lowers that minimum to just 1 percent, covering the remaining 2 percent through a grant. The program also covers private mortgage insurance (PMI) at no cost.

Inflation Buster

Inflation Buster is a temporary rate buy-down that lowers your mortgage interest rate by a percentage point for the first year of the loan. Say you borrow $400,000 for 30 years with an interest rate of 6.5 percent. Your principal and interest would be $2,528 a month. With the rate buy-down, your rate drops to 5.5 percent for 12 months, and your payment falls to $2,271. That means savings of $257 a month and more than $3,000 over the first year of the mortgage. Rocket’s deal is limited to purchase loans (refinances aren’t eligible), but it’s available on conventional, FHA and VA mortgages.

Rocket credit card

Rocket Mortgage’s Visa Signature Card offers a generous 5 percent back on all purchases, up to the limit, with the catch that the rewards are worth full value only if you ultimately get your home loan from Rocket Mortgage. That can discourage you from shopping around for a mortgage, a practice that could save you more money than the credit card’s cash back.

Rocket Rewards

Rocket Mortgage has taken a page from the likes of Starbucks and American Airlines with its Rocket Rewards program, which allows homebuyers to earn points by completing various activities on the lender’s website, including watching videos, reading articles about homeownership and using a mortgage calculator. You can then redeem the points for savings when closing your Rocket loan.

Compare Rocket Mortgage to other lenders

Rocket Mortgage
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
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4.6

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Bethpage Federal Credit Union
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
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4.9

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Read full review
First Mortgage Direct
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
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4.8

Bankrate Score
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Read full review

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, refinancing and more

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, refinancing and more

Loans offered

Conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, refinancing and more

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 680 for jumbo loans, 580 for FHA loans, 580 for VA loans

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 500 for FHA loans

Min. credit score required

620 for conventional loans, 580 for FHA loans, 580 for VA loans

Down payment

3% for conventional loans, 10%-15% for jumbo loans, 3.5% for FHA, none for VA loans

Down payment

3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans

Down payment

3% for conventional loans, 3.5% for FHA loans, none for VA loans and USDA loans

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

Nationwide availability

Available in all U.S. states except Texas

Nationwide availability

All U.S. states

Rocket Mortgage customer ratings and reviews

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NMLS: 3030

4.8

Rating: 4.83 stars out of 5

2,586 ratings

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This lender has 5 recent reviews.

Knowledge
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
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97% of customers would recommend this lender.

of 5 reviews

The consumer reviews posted on Bankrate.com ("Bankrate") are individual, subjective opinions of reviewers, and not of Bankrate. Bankrate does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or any responses to reviews.

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