Southern First Bank mortgage approval rate & lending review
Southern First Bank decided 3,187 mortgage applications and funded 3,040 loans across the 616 counties Fat Boy Data covers, 2023–2025.
These are the decisions Southern First Bank reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, not its advertised interest rates.
Southern First Bank at a glance
Approval is 14.6 points above the 82.1% national rate for the same mix of loan types.
Approval rates by loan type
| Loan type | Approval | Approved | Taken up | Typical loan | Loans made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage lenders | 97% | 1,952 / 2,005 | 99% | $325K | 1,931 |
| Home improvement loans | 96% | 375 / 389 | 98% | $155K | 369 |
| Cash-out refinance | 94% | 68 / 72 | 97% | $355K | 66 |
| Refinance | 94% | 372 / 394 | 99% | $305K | 370 |
| Investment property purchase | 96% | 216 / 225 | 97% | $255K | 209 |
| Investment refinance | 96% | 46 / 48 | 96% | $265K | 44 |
| Investment home improvement | 97% | 38 / 39 | 100% | $205K | 38 |
Southern First Bank lending by state
| State | Approval | Typical loan | Decided | Loans made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 98% | $325K | 2,489 | 2,410 |
| Georgia | 91% | $425K | 383 | 339 |
| North Carolina | 95% | $305K | 287 | 266 |
Fat Boy Data covers 616 counties, 79.6% of the US population, not every county in every state. States with fewer than 20 decisions are not listed.Methodology.
Where Southern First Bank lends most
| County | Loan type | Approval | Decided | Loans made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 99% | 962 | 946 |
| Greenville County, SC | Refinance | 99% | 188 | 186 |
| Anderson County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 99% | 174 | 172 |
| Greenville County, SC | Home improvement loans | 99% | 149 | 145 |
| Spartanburg County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 99% | 147 | 143 |
| Charleston County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 98% | 101 | 97 |
| Greenville County, SC | Investment property purchase | 97% | 79 | 75 |
| Charleston County, SC | Home improvement loans | 97% | 58 | 54 |
| Charleston County, SC | Refinance | 96% | 54 | 51 |
| Pickens County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 98% | 52 | 51 |
| Dorchester County, SC | Mortgage lenders | 100% | 39 | 38 |
| Greenville County, SC | Cash-out refinance | 97% | 33 | 32 |
The county markets where Southern First Bank made the most loans. Each link opens that market with every lender ranked.
Questions about Southern First Bank
What is Southern First Bank's mortgage approval rate?
Southern First Bank approved 96.7% of the 3,187 mortgage applications it decided across the 616 counties Fat Boy Data covers, 2023–2025, 14.6 points above the 82.1% national rate for the same mix of loan types.
How often do borrowers take the loan Southern First Bank offers?
Borrowers accepted 99% of the loans Southern First Bank approved, against 96% for all home purchase mortgage lenders nationally. A low take-up usually means the approved terms were not competitive.
What size loans does Southern First Bank make?
The typical home purchase mortgage loan Southern First Bank made was $325K; across all loan types its typical loan ran from $155K to $355K. HMDA reports amounts in $10,000 brackets, so these are midpoints.
Where does Southern First Bank lend?
Southern First Bank decided applications in 16 of the states Fat Boy Data covers, most of them in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
Can I apply to Southern First Bank directly?
Yes. Southern First Bank is a bank or credit union with 12 branches in the FDIC and NCUA registries, and it takes mortgage applications directly.
Does this page show Southern First Bank's interest rates?
No. HMDA filings record who applied, who was approved and how much was borrowed, not the rate offered. Use the approval rate and take-up here to judge how Southern First Bank treats applications, then get a rate quote from the lender.