CashCall Mortgage at a glance

CashCall Mortgage offers a relatively limited number of loan products but does offer one less-common option: a high-balance conforming loan. You'll have to contact a loan officer before you can start an application, and you can't get customized rates online.

Here's a breakdown of CashCall Mortgage's overall score:

• Variety of loan types: 3 of 5 stars

• Ease of application: 4 of 5 stars

• Rates and fees: 5 of 5 stars

• Rate transparency: 4 of 5 stars

CashCall Mortgage loan types

CashCall Mortgage offers conventional and VA mortgage options for home buyers and refinancers, but doesn't appear to offer FHA loans or adjustable-rate mortgages. Home equity loans and lines of credit are also missing from the menu. CashCall does offer a high-balance conforming mortgage, which can be up to the loan limits set each year by the Federal Housing Finance Agency for high-cost areas. A high-balance conforming loan can be a good alternative to a jumbo loan for those purchasing a more expensive home in certain areas of the country.

CashCall Mortgage ease of application

On the CashCall website, selecting the "Apply Now" button takes you to a form that initiates contact with a loan officer. Once that discussion has taken place, the lender says you can submit and sign documents online, and track the loan process digitally.

CashCall Mortgage rates and fees

One of the most important considerations when choosing a mortgage lender is understanding what the loan will cost. In order to provide consumers with a general sense of what a lender might charge, NerdWallet scores lenders on two factors regarding fees and mortgage rates, according to the most recently available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data:

• CashCall Mortgage earns 4 of 5 stars for average origination fee.

• CashCall Mortgage earns 5 of 5 stars for offered mortgage rates compared with the best available rates on comparable loans.

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.

You can decide to buy discount points — a fee paid with your closing costs — to reduce your mortgage rate.

Deciding whether to pay higher upfront fees is a matter of considering how long you plan to live in your home and how much cash you have to apply toward closing costs when you sign the loan paperwork.

CashCall Mortgage rate transparency

Links to sample rates for a couple of loan products, along with fee disclosures and assumptions, are offered on the CashCall Mortgage website. The lender also provides links to its fee disclosures and assumptions — the type of borrower you'd have to be to get those rates. On the day we checked, CashCall was assuming up to a 40% down payment and credit scores well over 700 for some loan products. The only way to get a personalized rate quote is to contact a CashCall loan specialist.

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