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Carrington Mortgage Review 2026
Last updated on June 12, 2026
Written by
Lead Writer & Content StrategistCo-written by
Contributing EditorWritten by
Lead Writer & Content StrategistCo-written by
Contributing EditorMany or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Why trust NerdWallet
Why trust NerdWallet
- 50+ mortgage lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 40+ years of combined experience covering mortgages and financial topics.
- Objective, comprehensive star rating system assessing 120+ categories and 5,000+ data points.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Our Take
4.5
Home loans overall
NerdWallet rating
The Nerdy headline:
Carrington Mortgage offers specialty loans for people who might have trouble getting a mortgage elsewhere, like self-employed borrowers or those with credit challenges. Average rates and fees are on the higher side. A good fit for those who need flexibility to qualify for a mortgage after setbacks like bankruptcy or foreclosure.
Jump to:Full Review
Carrington: NMLS#2600
Min. credit score
620
Min. down payment
3%
Loan types and products
Purchase, Refinance, Fixed, Adjustable, FHA, VA, USDA
Pros
- Considers borrowers with bad credit, foreclosure or bankruptcy.
- Options for self-employed borrowers and alternative income documentation.
- Improved mobile app offering mortgage management and payment capabilities.
Cons
- Sample rates are not posted online, and you have to go through a hard-to-find and lengthy questionnaire to see personalized rates.
- Average APRs are on the higher side, according to the latest federal data.
- Offers home equity loans, but no HELOCs.
Lender | Min. credit score | Min. down payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Visit Lenderat NBKC at NBKC | 620 | 3% | Visit Lenderat NBKC at NBKC |
 Visit Lenderat New American Funding at New American Funding | N/A | N/A | Visit Lenderat New American Funding at New American Funding |
 Visit Lenderat Rocket Mortgage, LLC at Rocket Mortgage, LLC | 580 | 3.5% | Visit Lenderat Rocket Mortgage, LLC at Rocket Mortgage, LLC |
 4.0 Visit Lenderat GO Mortgage at GO Mortgage | 620 | 3% | Visit Lenderat GO Mortgage at GO Mortgage |
 Visit Lenderat Veterans United at Veterans United | 620 | 0% | Visit Lenderat Veterans United at Veterans United |
Full Review
At a glance: Carrington Mortgage options
Carrington Mortgage is a nonbank lender based in Orange, California. The lender is licensed to lend in every state except Massachusetts, and services loans nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
🏠 Common mortgages
• Fixed- or adjustable-rate
• Conventional
• FHA
• VA
• Jumbo
• Rate-and-term refinance
🔑 Specialty loans
• USDA
• Interest-only mortgages
• Loans for vacation/second homes
• Self-employed mortgages
• Reverse mortgages
• ITIN loans
• Conventional loans for manufactured homes
• Non-QM loans
• Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program
💵 Home equity
• Home equity loan
• Cash-out refinance
Carrington special offers and discounts
Carrington stands out for its selection of non-qualifying loans, known as non-QM loans. These loans offer purchase, refinance and cash-out options for borrowers who don’t meet traditional lending criteria. They include:
- Flexible Advantage: For borrowers with bad credit and/or recent credit events (such as foreclosure, bankruptcy or missed payments), or self-employed borrowers with inconsistent income.
- Flexible Advantage Plus: For borrowers with credit challenges who have since caught up on late payments.
- Carrington Prime Advantage: For high-credit-score borrowers looking to borrow a larger amount (up to $3.5 million) but who have a past credit event or otherwise miss the qualifications for a jumbo loan.
The Advantage loan series is not available in Massachusetts or North Dakota, and its cash-out options are not available in Texas.
Carrington’s Advantage loans also offer the option of a 40-year term. This shrinks your monthly payment, but at a higher long-term cost: You’ll pay more in interest over time, and it’ll take longer to build equity.
Carrington also has two affiliate companies to support customers through the homebuying process, real estate brokerage Vylla Home and title services company Vylla Title.
What does Carrington specialize in?
A lender’s experience with your loan type can make a big difference. We looked at the latest federal data to find the types of mortgages Carrington handles most often. In 2024, FHA and VA loans made up the bulk of Carrington’s lending, with conventional coming in at less than 10% of its purchase volume.
How we score Carrington Mortgage
Like to read the fine print? We do, too. Each year, NerdWallet writers and editors review the latest data and research on mortgage lenders, including federal data, and use a consistent method to score them based on what matters most to borrowers.
Carrington Mortgage earned a 4.5-star home loans overall rating from NerdWallet. Here’s how that score breaks down across our five weighted subcategories.
Poor
Rates and fees (30%)
Rates and fees determine how much a loan will cost you overall. NerdWallet reviews the latest federal data to score each lender’s average APR spread — a measure that combines interest rates and fees. A higher score means lower typical costs compared to other lenders.
Average
Product accessibility (20%)
We evaluate how widely available a lender’s products are across the U.S. and how accessible they are to different financial profiles. A higher score means broader availability and more flexible requirements. A lower score means fewer options or stricter requirements.
Excellent
Customer experience (20%)
We evaluate customer experience by testing and reviewing features like the online application, mobile app, and availability of phone or chat support. A higher score means a smoother, more convenient experience and easier access to help. A lower score means more friction or fewer support options.
Good
Loan variety (15%)
We evaluate loan variety based on the range of home loan types a lender offers. A higher score means more options, while a lower score means a more limited selection.
Excellent
Rate transparency (15%)
We review how clearly lenders share rate information on their websites, including sample rates and tools to estimate personalized rates. A higher score means it’s easy to find clear, comprehensive details and compare rates. A lower score means less information is available, often requiring you to contact the lender.
🤓
NerdWallet’s ratings are objective and well-researched (we have the spreadsheets to prove it). But choosing a mortgage lender isn’t just about a star rating or a score breakdown. It’s also about finding the right lender for your unique situation. So yes: you can learn a lot from how the mortgage Nerds scored Carrington Mortgage. But you’re the expert when it comes to the features of your own best-match mortgage lender.Nerdy Tip
Carrington reputation and customer experience
NerdWallet’s star ratings look at objective factors like rates, fees and loan options. To give you a sense of what the borrower experience is really like, we pulled the latest customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and Zillow, and we contacted the lender’s customer support.
2025 J.D. Power U.S. Mortgage Servicer Satisfaction Study
523
out of 1,000
Below-average satisfaction score: average = 596.
A mortgage servicer handles loan payments.
Zillow Mortgage Lender Customer Rating
4.91
out of 5
Excellent rating as of the date of publication.
Rating reflects more than 900 customer reviews.
Carrington Mortgage customer service options
Here’s how you can get in touch with Carrington. You can also email customer service. It’s important to note that the mobile app is intended primarily for existing customers and not for mortgage applicants or prospective borrowers.
Ways to reach Carrington Mortgage
Physical branches . . . . . . 🚫
Phone support . . . . . . . . . ✅
Mobile app . . . . . . . . . . . . ✅
Online chat (bot) . . . . . . . 🚫
Online chat (human) . . . . 🚫
🤓 Our Nerds say... mobile app ratings have improved
Abby Badach Doyle, lead writer, mortgages
It looks like Carrington has been investing in its mobile app user experience, compared to the last time we checked. In particular, Carrington made it easier to make a payment in the app — something user reviews complained was missing in the past.
At the time of publication, its average ratings were 4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on the Google Play store. A couple years ago, its average ratings were in the 2’s and 3’s.
» MORE: How to apply for a mortgage
Alternatives to Carrington Mortgage
Our biggest tip: Get offers from at least three different mortgage lenders. Comparison shopping can save you thousands of dollars. You can get rate quotes yourself, or work with a mortgage broker to shop around on your behalf.
New American Funding offers non-QM loans for borrowers with credit challenges. Rate, another nonbank lender, offers flexible mortgage options for self-employed borrowers.
» MORE: Best bad credit mortgage lenders
More from NerdWallet
Methodology
NerdWallet rates mortgage lenders based on what matters most to borrowers: rates and fees, product accessibility, customer experience, rate transparency and the range of loan options.
We review more than 40 lenders and score them using a weighted system that prioritizes affordability and a smooth borrowing experience. Lenders earn higher scores for offering lower borrowing costs, making loans widely available, clearly displaying rate information and supporting borrowers from application through closing.
We use a mix of lender-provided information, publicly available data and our own research and analysis to evaluate each lender. Recent regulatory actions may affect a lender’s score.