First Merchants Bank
Bank · #234 by purchase decisions in 2025 · Conventional 92%.
approved of 1,801 decisions.
Approval by DTI band
Each row is approved versus denied among files whose decision used that ratio. Read the 50–60% row against the ≤43% row: a gap is the signature of a wall at 50.
Conventional
| DTI band | Decisions | Approved · denied | Denials citing DTI |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤43% | 1,554 | 6% | |
| 44–45% | 113 | 38% | |
| 46–49% | 115 | 75% |
Rates and costs
Compared with the national market in the same LTV band and points-paid cell; 30-year fixed conforming purchase loans. Builder-owned lenders buy rates down as a sales incentive, which is paid for in the house price.
Where it lends
Michigan (897), Indiana (843), Ohio (159), Florida (12), Illinois (11), Colorado (4), Tennessee (4), Virginia (3), Texas (3), New York (3).
Compare First Merchants Bank with every lender in a state on the approvals, rates and fees pages.
Questions
Does First Merchants Bank approve loans with a DTI over 50%?
First Merchants Bank decided too few purchase files above 50% DTI in 2025 to report a rate. The table on this page shows every band.
Are First Merchants Bank's rates competitive?
In 2025 its closed conventional loans were priced 12 basis points below the market median after matching LTV band and points paid.
Why does First Merchants Bank deny applications?
Its most common first-listed denial reason in 2025 was debt-to-income ratio (28% of denials), followed by credit history (23%).
Where does this come from?
First Merchants Bank's own 2025 HMDA filing, as published by the CFPB. Purchase loans on site-built, one-unit, owner-occupied homes. Decisions, not policy: files screened out before a formal application never appear. Credit score is withheld from the public file.
Method
Approvals from the approvals dataset (originated vs. denied by DTI band). Rates: HMDA interest rate on 30-year fixed conforming purchase originations, compared cell by cell with the national market. Costs: Closing Disclosure total loan costs, binned to $250. Denial reasons: first reason listed on denied files. Lender type assigned from the name.
Corrections
Every figure traces to First Merchants Bank’s own filing. If a number looks wrong, write to us and we will re-run it.
Who said yes above 50% DTI: the 2025 lender sheet
2.9 million purchase decisions from 2,523 lenders, ranked by approval rate at 50–60% DTI. One page per state, conventional / FHA / VA. Nobody else publishes it:
- The lenders in your state that actually approve high-ratio files, with the decision count behind every percentage
- Which ones are lenient everywhere and which only above 50%, so you know who to call first
- Builder lenders flagged, so a buydown-fed 95% doesn’t fool you
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