The Golden 1 mortgage approval rate & lending review
The Golden 1 decided 18,617 mortgage applications and funded 12,423 loans across the 616 counties Fat Boy Data covers, 2023–2025.
These are the decisions The Golden 1 reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, not its advertised interest rates.
The Golden 1 at a glance
Approval is 0.6 points below the 69.2% 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 | 87% | 2,956 / 3,379 | 99% | $895K | 2,916 |
| Home improvement loans | 65% | 6,038 / 9,292 | 97% | $85K | 5,834 |
| Cash-out refinance | 65% | 2,377 / 3,663 | 97% | $125K | 2,306 |
| Refinance | 72% | 835 / 1,154 | 98% | $1.06M | 815 |
| Investment property purchase | 74% | 174 / 235 | 98% | $435K | 170 |
| Investment cash-out refinance | 40% | 72 / 182 | 99% | $205K | 71 |
| Investment refinance | 51% | 29 / 57 | 90% | $405K | 26 |
| Investment home improvement | 46% | 299 / 655 | 95% | $105K | 285 |
The Golden 1 lending by state
| State | Approval | Typical loan | Decided | Loans made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 69% | $125K | 18,616 | 12,423 |
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 The Golden 1 lends most
| County | Loan type | Approval | Decided | Loans made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County, CA | Home improvement loans | 69% | 3,244 | 2,170 |
| Sacramento County, CA | Cash-out refinance | 70% | 1,213 | 823 |
| Placer County, CA | Home improvement loans | 72% | 841 | 588 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Mortgage lenders | 91% | 614 | 551 |
| Sacramento County, CA | Mortgage lenders | 86% | 577 | 485 |
| Alameda County, CA | Mortgage lenders | 89% | 475 | 417 |
| Fresno County, CA | Home improvement loans | 58% | 624 | 348 |
| El Dorado County, CA | Home improvement loans | 70% | 460 | 316 |
| San Joaquin County, CA | Home improvement loans | 59% | 433 | 252 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | Mortgage lenders | 88% | 275 | 242 |
| Yolo County, CA | Home improvement loans | 70% | 313 | 213 |
| Placer County, CA | Cash-out refinance | 67% | 320 | 212 |
The county markets where The Golden 1 made the most loans. Each link opens that market with every lender ranked.
Questions about The Golden 1
What is The Golden 1's mortgage approval rate?
The Golden 1 approved 68.6% of the 18,617 mortgage applications it decided across the 616 counties Fat Boy Data covers, 2023–2025, 0.6 points below the 69.2% national rate for the same mix of loan types.
How often do borrowers take the loan The Golden 1 offers?
Borrowers accepted 97% of the loans The Golden 1 approved, against 93% for all home improvement loan lenders nationally. A low take-up usually means the approved terms were not competitive.
What size loans does The Golden 1 make?
The typical home improvement loan loan The Golden 1 made was $85K; across all loan types its typical loan ran from $85K to $1.06M. HMDA reports amounts in $10,000 brackets, so these are midpoints.
Where does The Golden 1 lend?
The Golden 1 decided applications in 2 of the states Fat Boy Data covers, most of them in California and Nevada.
Can I apply to The Golden 1 directly?
Yes. The Golden 1 is a bank or credit union with 63 branches in the FDIC and NCUA registries, and it takes mortgage applications directly.
Does this page show The Golden 1'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 The Golden 1 treats applications, then get a rate quote from the lender.