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BBVA mortgage review
Last updated:
finder.com’s rating: 2.8 / 5.0
★★★★★
Find the right financing option to purchase your next home or refinance your current one.
BBVA is among the top 25 largest commercial banks in the US, offering a full range of banking services through nearly 700 branches. Prequalify for a mortgage or submit a request online to learn more about its many home financing options.
Details
| Loan types | Purchase, Refinance, Jumbo, Home Equity, FHA, VA, USDA |
|---|---|
| Minimum credit | 620 |
| Minimum down payment | 3% |
| Origination fee | N/A |
| Other fees | N/A |
| Available States | ID, KS, LA, MA, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA |
Pros
- Big-name institution
- Multiple loan types available
- Home Ownership Made Easy program
- Flexible payment plans
Cons
- Limited states served
- Mixed customer reviews
BBVA Compass is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. It receives a BBB rating of B- for failing to respond to four complaints.
Generally, BBVA customers praise its friendly in-person customer service and the speed and ease of its online platform.
However, some complain of miscommunications between BBVA loan officers hindering the loan application process. Some BBVA customers had to repeatedly call to follow up on the status of their loan and criticized BBVA’s disorganized approach to the loan closing process.
Generally, BBVA customers praise its friendly in-person customer service and the speed and ease of its online platform.
However, some complain of miscommunications between BBVA loan officers hindering the loan application process. Some BBVA customers had to repeatedly call to follow up on the status of their loan and criticized BBVA’s disorganized approach to the loan closing process.
What types of loans does BBVA offer?
BBVA offers a variety of different mortgage types, including:
Conventional
BBVA offers conventional fixed-rate mortgages with terms from 10 to 30 years, along with adjustable-rate mortgages. As of 2020, the maximum amount you can take out for a conventional mortgage is $510,400 in most counties.
FHA
Designed for low- to moderate-income borrowers, FHA loans are available with as little as 3.5% down to borrowers who meet the income restrictions.
VA
VA loans are available with $0 down for qualifying veterans, military service members and certain military spouses.
USDA
USDA loans are available for $0 down to homebuyers in eligible rural areas who meet the income requirements. You can use the USDA website to check if your home qualifies.
Jumbo
A jumbo loan is any loan too big to be bought out by government lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As of 2020, that means that mortgages over $510,400 in most counties are jumbo loans.
BBVA offers jumbo loans up to $5 million.
Other loans offered by BBVA
BBVA offers a variety of other loans, including:
- Refinance. Refinance your current mortgage to get a different interest rate or change your loan term.
- Home equity. A home equity loan from BBVA can help you tap into the equity you’ve built up in your house.
- Professional mortgage. Medical residents, doctors, attorneys, oral surgeons, dentists and CPAs can get a jumbo loan with a low down payment and no private mortgage insurance.
- Home Ownership Made Easier (HOME). BBVA offers $0 down payment mortgages to qualifying homebuyers who plan to buy a house in a low-income area.
- Renovation loans. Get up to $5 million to renovate a primary or secondary home.
- Construction loans and lot loans. You can get two separate mortgages to buy a lot of empty land and build a new home on it.
- HomeReady. This program by Fannie Mae lets eligible low- to moderate-income homebuyers purchase a house with as little as 3% down.
BBVA’s fees
Fees vary based on your mortgage type and amount, but BBVA has a mortgage calculator to help you estimate costs.
For example, for a $300,000 home with 10% down and a 5% interest rates, you’d pay approximately:
- Origination fee. $1,500.
- Appraisal. $300.
- Flood certification. $50.
- Tax service. $150.
- Title services. $350.
- Owner’s title insurance. $350
- Government recording fees. $25
- Survey. $175
- Pest inspection. $100.
You’d also need to pay for home insurance and property taxes.
Requirements
To be eligible for a home loan with BBVA, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old with a minimum personal credit score of 620.
You must also reside in one of the states in which BBVA offers loans: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Documentation
Before you apply, be sure to have the following information on hand:
- Full name and personal contact information
- Social Security number
- Pay stubs from the past 30 days
- W2s and 1099s from the past two years
- Personal tax returns from the past two years
- Profit and loss statements (if self-employed)
- A list of your assets, including savings, real estate, car titles and other investment records
- A complete list of your debts, including student loans, auto loans, personal loans and credit cards
Pros and cons of BBVA
Pros
- Big-name institution. BBVA is among the 25 largest banks in the US with operations well outside its Sunbelt headquarters.
- Many types of mortgages. BBVA offers an unusually large selection of mortgage products.
- Home Ownership Made Easy program. Introduced in 2015, HOME allows qualifying borrowers to finance up to 100% of a home’s value, with BBVA contributing money toward closing costs.
- Flexible service. If you find yourself unable to pay your mortgage, call a client specialist to work out an alternative until you’re back on your feet.
Cons
- Limited services. If you don’t live in one of the states that BBVA serves, you’ll need to seek financing elsewhere.
- Mixed customer reviews. While some customers have had great experiences with BBVA employees, others complain about frustrating customer service. But a lot of negative reviews are for the company’s bank accounts, not its mortgages.
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How to get a home loan with BBVA
The best way to get a home loan with BBVA is to get started by prequalifying. It takes about 15 minutes and will give you an idea of whether you’ll be eligible for a loan — and how much you’ll qualify for.
- Go to BBVA’s website and click Mortgages on the bar near the top of the screen.
- Click on the button that says Get Started.
- Choose whether you want to purchase, refinance or build a home.
- Fill out the information on the screen and click Continue.
- There will be several pages of information to fill out about the property, your loan type and your finances. Click Continue after each one, following the onscreen prompts.
- Find out if you’re prequalified for a home. If you run into any problems, call (888)853-6346.
What is BBVA?
Founded in Alabama in 1964, BBVA — formerly BBVA Compass — is a bank. It offers checking, savings and investment accounts, credit cards, mortgages, personal loans and business loans.
As of August 2019, it has a B- rating with the BBB with 230 complaints closed within the last year.
Frequently asked questions about BBVA
Home loans ratings
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★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
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Expert review
Review by
Shannon Terrell
shannon.terrell@finder.comShannon Terrell is a writer for Finder who studied communications and English literature at the University of Toronto. On any given day, you can find her researching everything from equine financing and business loans to student debt refinancing and how to start a trust. She loves hot coffee, the smell of fresh books and discovering new ways to save her pennies.
Expert review
BBVA’s selection of mortgages make it a good pick for those looking for home loans with no down payment. It choices ranges from its Professional mortgages, offering jumbo loans to specific professions, to its HOME mortgages, offering loans to buyers in low-income areas — both without a down payment. But its loans are only available in 15 states, so you’ll need to look elsewhere if you don’t live in a state it services.