Wintrust Mortgage Review 2024

Good for: borrowers looking for construction or government-backed loans.
Abby Badach DoylePhil Metzger
By
and
Last updated on January 16, 2024
Edited by
✅ Fact checked and reviewed
Alice Holbrook
Edited by
✅ Fact checked and reviewed

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Our Take

4.0

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NerdWallet rating
The Nerdy headline:

Wintrust Mortgage offers a solid variety of loan products, including home equity lines of credit, construction loans and loans for investment properties — and 40% of the loans it originates are government-backed, including USDA loans. An interactive tool to personalize mortgage rates and a self-service online application will please tech-savvy borrowers, but you’ll need to connect with a loan officer to see rates for specialty loans.

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Wintrust Mortgage
Wintrust Mortgage: NMLS#449042

Min. credit score
620
Min. down payment
3%
Loan types and products
Purchase, Refinance, Home Equity, Jumbo, Fixed, Adjustable, FHA, VA, USDA

Pros

  • Offers specialty loans, such as construction and renovation loans, and loans for second homes and investment properties.
  • Offers a home equity line of credit.
  • Participates in down payment assistance programs in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Cons

  • Sample rates for some loan products are available only by contacting a loan officer.
  • No online chat function available on the lender’s website.
  • Origination fees are on the high side, according to the latest federal data.
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Full Review

What borrowers say about Wintrust Mortgage

NerdWallet’s lender star ratings assess objective qualities, including rates, fees and loan offerings. NerdWallet assesses borrowers’ subjective experiences with lenders using customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and Zillow. Wintrust Mortgage didn’t have sufficient data from either source for NerdWallet to share.

Wintrust Mortgage’s loan options

  • 5 of 5 stars

Wintrust Mortgage offers the usual conventional fixed- and adjustable-rate purchase and refinance loans, as well as jumbo mortgages and VA and FHA loans. Collectively, government-backed loans make up 40% of its loan volume.

Wintrust, which is headquartered in the Chicago area, participates in down payment assistance programs in Illinois and Wisconsin for buyers who meet certain qualifications. To qualify for down payment assistance, the property must be a primary residence.

Wintrust also offers loans for second homes and investment properties.

Wintrust Mortgage HELOC

The lender also offers a home equity line of credit, or HELOC. These second mortgages are a way for homeowners to access existing home equity without refinancing or selling their home. Funds obtained with a second mortgage can be used for expenses such as home improvements, education costs or debt consolidation.

Wintrust offers a variable-rate HELOC with a 10-year draw period. The repayment period is 10 years, which is shorter than the typical period of 20 years we’ve seen offered by other lenders.

What it’s like to apply for a Wintrust mortgage

  • 4 of 5 stars

For those who prefer to apply for their mortgage online, Wintrust offers common conveniences for borrowers. You can upload documents, download loan disclosures, track the progress of your loan and e-sign most required paperwork. However, Wintrust Mortgage doesn’t have an online chat function on its website.

Wintrust Community Banks offers a mobile app that receives good ratings on Google Play and the App Store. While the app supports bill pay, most of the features are designed to support Wintrust’s banking customers.

Wintrust Mortgage’s rates and fees

  • 2.5 of 5 stars

  • Wintrust Mortgage earns 2 of 5 stars for average origination fee.

  • Wintrust Mortgage earns 3 of 5 stars for average mortgage interest rates.

Wintrust Mortgage is a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Co. Our scoring reflects data reported by Barrington.

NerdWallet analyzes federal data to compare mortgage lenders’ origination fees and offered mortgage rates. We measure annual averages across all loan types, as reported by the lenders. Compared to other lenders, Wintrust Mortgage’s origination fee is on the high side, while its interest rates are about average.

Borrowers should consider the balance between lender fees and mortgage rates. While it's not always the case, paying upfront fees can lower your mortgage interest rate. Some lenders will charge higher upfront fees to lower their advertised interest rate and make it more attractive. Some lenders just charge higher upfront fees.

Wintrust Mortgage’s rate transparency

  • 5 of 5 stars

The Wintrust website features a mortgage payments calculator, which includes sample rates for several, but not all, loan types. You can adjust for multiple factors such as credit score, but prospective borrowers need to submit a contact form or speak to a loan officer to see customized rates for all available products, such as construction loans.

Alternatives to a home loan from Wintrust Mortgage

Here are some comparable lenders we review that borrowers can consider.

Flagstar Bank also offers renovation and construction mortgages, as well as FHA, VA and USDA loans. Bethpage Federal Credit Union also has options for jumbo loans.

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Methodology

NerdWallet’s overall ratings for mortgage lenders are evaluated based on four major categories: variety of loan types (purchase, refinance, fixed and adjustable, for example), ease of application, rates and fees and rate transparency. Among the factors we consider when scoring these categories are options to apply for and track loans online, the level of detail about mortgage rates on lender websites and our analysis of the rates and fees lenders reported in the latest available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. These scores generate ratings from 1 star (poor) to 5 stars (excellent).

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