Sebonic Financial Mortgage Review 2021

Sebonic Financial overview

Sebonic Financial is a privately held lender based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a division of Cardinal Financial LP. Octane, the lender's innovative proprietary technology, aims to transform mortgage lending into a seamless experience. Loans processed through this technology are quick to close, according to the lender, with drag-and-drop document capability, e-sign and real-time status updates for maximum convenience and transparency. Sebonic doesn't disclose how long it takes to get preapproved or to close on your loan, but applicants will know their loan status at every critical checkpoint.

Good for

Borrowers looking for standard mortgage options or prefer an online experience and quick closing

Loan types

• Conventional
• Jumbo
• FHA
• VA
• USDA
• Fixed-rate
• Rate-and-term refinancing
• Interest-only

Lender fees 

Sebonic Financial does not provide lender fee information on its website.

Rates 

Sebonic Financial doesn’t publicly advertise interest rates on its website. While you can request a rate quote online, you won’t receive it until after you’ve spoken with a loan officer. In some cases, other lenders allow you to view rates online and get a quote without needing to speak with someone.

Reputation 

Sebonic Financial has a rating of three out of five stars on Trustpilot, and 71 percent of customers gave it an “excellent” review.

Online services

You can request a free rate quote online through the Sebonic Financial website, but you’ll need to speak with a loan officer to actually receive the quote and submit an application. Once you get started with a loan officer, the lender offers an online application that allows you to upload documents, e-sign your disclosures and get real-time status updates. The lender does not offer a mobile app.

If you have questions throughout the process, the lender also offers a chat function on its website, or you can reach a customer service agent via email. (If you already have a loan in progress, it might make sense to contact your loan officer directly, however.)

If you need to run some numbers, you can use the lender’s online calculators — it doesn’t provide any other resources online.

Minimum borrower requirements 

Sebonic Financial adheres to the conforming loan requirements for mortgages approved by government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as those backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For conventional loans, key requirements include a FICO score of 620 or higher and a minimum down payment of 5 percent. The down payment on an FHA loan can be as low as 3.5 percent, and you’ll need a credit score of 550 or higher. VA loans and USDA loans have no down payment requirement. The maximum jumbo loan limit is $3 million, and interest-only jumbo loans are available. 

Refinancing with Sebonic Financial 

Sebonic Financial offers mortgage refinancing but doesn’t disclose refi rates upfront online. The lender also doesn’t share refinance costs, so you’ll need to speak with a loan officer to get a quote and those details.

Not sure if Sebonic Financial is right for you? Consider these alternatives

• Navy Federal Credit Union mortgage review: A members-only lender with competitive rates serving veterans and their families
• Wyndham Capital Mortgage review: An online lender available in almost every state with flexible underwriting
• First Mortgage Direct review: A medium-sized lender with a comparable online experience
• Bank of America mortgage review: A big-box lender with banking customer discounts
• Goodmortgage review: An online lender with a range of programs, including bad-credit and low-down payment loans

Breakdown of Sebonic Financial overall review score 

• Affordability: 13/15
• Availability: 9/15
• Borrower experience: 8/10

Review methodology

To determine a mortgage lender’s Bankrate Score, Bankrate’s editorial team rates lenders on a scale of one to five stars based on a variety of factors relating to the lender’s products and services. Bankrate’s partners compensate us, but our opinions are our own, and partner relationships do not influence our reviews. Here is our full methodology.