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- Updated: August 23, 2021
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- Focuses 100 percent on retail mortgage banking
- All loan processing, underwriting, closings, and funding occur at local branches
- Offers numerous types of FHA loans as well as USDA and VA loans
- Provides State Housing Agency loans.
- Has a down payment assistance program in California, which grants up to 5 percent the price of the home
- New York is the only state in which Academy Mortgage doesn’t provide services
Academy Mortgage History
Academy Mortgage was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Draper, Utah. It has more than 260 branches in 37 states and provides lending services to 49 states and the District of Columbia. New York is the only state that Academy doesn’t serve.
Academy only provides retail mortgage services, with no additional banking services.
Academy Mortgage Overview
In 2010, Academy acquired the assets of Republic Mortgage. Academy Mortgage is an independent mortgage originator, providing only mortgage-related services for residential and business borrowers; it does not provide other types of loans or financial services.
Academy is not listed among the top 10 originators dominating the mortgage industry.
Academy’s loan options are extensive, offering multiple government-backed loan products, as well as State Housing Agency loans, conforming loans, jumbo loans, and refinance loans. It also provides a down payment assistance program to borrowers in California.
Overall, customers seem pleased with their experiences with Academy, earning the lender a five out of five-star customer rating on the Better Business Bureau, and a BBB rating of A+.
It has flexible mortgage qualifications, and the mortgage specialists at Academy can help borrowers find the right mortgage product for their situation.
Academy Mortgage Loan Specifics
As a lender that only focuses on home loans, Academy Mortgage offers a wide array of mortgage products. Notably, it provides multiple types of FHA-backed loans, in addition to other government-backed mortgage programs like VA and USDA loans, as well as state housing loans.
Fixed-rate Mortgages
Academy offers fixed-rate loans with terms of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. With this type of mortgage, the monthly payments will stay the same for the duration of the loan.
Adjustable-rate Mortgages
Adjustable-rate mortgages have fixed monthly payments for a period of time at the beginning of the loan, then are adjusted annually based on market conditions. Academy offers 10/1, 7/1, 5/1, and 3/1 ARMs, which typically have 30-year terms.
Jumbo Mortgages
Jumbo loans are those that amount to more than a specific limit set by the government-sponsored entities, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. In 2019, that limit is $484,350. Certain areas of the country that have more expensive housing also have higher limits;
Los Angeles County has a limit of $726,525, for example. Academy offers jumbo loans up to $3 million and provides both ARM and fixed-rate mortgage options.
FHA 203(b) loans
This FHA-insured loan is designed for homebuyers or homeowners who want to purchase or refinance a house.
FHA 203(k) renovation loans
This FHA-insured loan is intended to help home buyers or homeowners purchase or refinance a house, and include renovation costs in the mortgage.
FHA Streamline 203(k)
Academy also offers a streamlined version of the 203(k) loan, which has a limit of $35,000. Borrowers must already be FHA-insured homeowners and have no late payments for the previous 12 months. These have relatively quick turnaround times.
FHA Energy-Efficient loans
This FHA-insured loan helps people make energy-efficient upgrades to their home using mortgage financing.
USDA home loans
These mortgages, backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are designed to help low- and moderate-income families purchase homes in rural development areas as defined by the USDA. Academy offers these loans with up to 102 percent financing, which includes the purchase price and guarantee fee.
VA Home Loans
VA loans are backed by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Eligible buyers include servicemen and women, veterans and certain spouses. Qualified buyers have access to low rates and minimal down payment requirements.
State Housing Agency Loans
State Housing Agency Loans are designed to support communities by providing loans with low-interest rates and down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income families, underserved minorities, disabled, and elderly buyers.
Refinance Loans
Academy provides refinance loans, which can help homeowners get a lower rate, lower monthly payments or access their home equity as cash.
Borrowers may get different loan terms and rates for the same product, switch to a different loan product (such as going from an ARM to a fixed-rate mortgage) or get an FHA 203(k) streamlined loan.
Academy Mortgage Customer Experience
Academy Mortgage does not have an online application, but site visitors can fill out a brief form with their name, phone number, email address, and zip code for a mortgage specialist to contact them.
Their site includes a mortgage payment calculator, and there is also helpful information on their product pages that explain the various types of loans and who might benefit from each.
Academy offers a down payment assistance program to borrowers in California. This grant program provides borrowers with up to 5 percent of the purchase price of the home and, in some cases, borrowers aren’t required to repay the grant.
Academy isn’t listed in J.D. Power’s Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Survey, nor is it named in the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s complaint report.
The mortgage originator states on its website that it has quick closing times, though it doesn’t provide details. The industry average time to close on a purchase loan is 48 days as of November 2018, according to Ellie Mae’s Origination Insight Report.
There are both positive and negative customer responses recorded on the BBB website.
Academy Mortgage Lender Reputation
Academy Mortgage is an independent mortgage lender founded in 1988 and headquartered in Draper, Utah. It’s Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System ID is 3113.
Though it is not BBB accredited, the lender has a BBB rating of A+, and with 1,552 customer reviews, it has five out of five stars. There are 25 total complaints on the BBB, six of which were dated in 2018.
Of those six, one remains unresolved; however, Academy responded saying that the complaint was from 2016, at which point the lender addressed the issue.
There are no instances of regulatory actions taken against Academy or other news about the lender found on the CFPB site.
Academy Mortgage was not included in CFPB’s Mortgage Market Activity and Trends report, which listed the top 25 mortgage originators in 2017.
- Information collected on Jan. 9, 2019.
Academy Mortgage Qualifications
Academy Mortgage’s goal is to help individuals and families become homeowners through responsible lending. As such, it provides a wide array of loan products with varying requirements for qualification.
Academy does not have median income requirements, and its debt-to-income and down payment requirements vary based on the loan type:
Loan type | Down payment minimum | Debt-to-income ratio minimum | |
---|---|---|---|
Conventional loan (fixed-rate, ARM) | 3 percent | 45 percent | |
Jumbo loan | 20 percent | 45 percent | |
FHA loan | 3.5 percent | 45-50 percent | |
USDA loan | 0 percent | 41 percent | |
VA loan | 0 percent | 41 percent | |
Academy accepts down payment assistance program funding. Likewise, the minimum credit score needed to get approved for a loan depends on the loan type.
For USDA loans, the minimum credit score is 640, or 660 for people who have a prior short sale. FHA borrowers must have a minimum of 580 to qualify for the 3.5 percent down payment. Otherwise, they’ll need to make a 10 percent down payment.
Academy Mortgage Phone Number & Additional Details
- Homepage URL: https://academymortgage.com
- Company Phone: (801) 233-3700
- Headquarters Address: 339 West 13490 South, Draper, UT 84020
- States serviced: Academy Mortgage services all states and the District of Columbia, except New York.
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