Carrington Mortgage Review
What works
- +One of the few national lenders accepting FHA credit scores down to 500
- +Non-QM programs for recent bankruptcy, foreclosure, or self-employed income
- +Full government lineup: FHA, VA, and USDA, plus conventional
- +Experienced with hardship workflows: loss mitigation is a core competency, not a side desk
- +2022 CFPB consent order was satisfied and formally terminated in July 2025
What to watch
- -CFPB fined Carrington $5.25M in 2022 for mishandling pandemic forbearance rights
- -Rates and fees skew above average; that is the price of low-credit flexibility
- -Servicing complaints follow the industry pattern: escrow disputes and payment posting issues
- -No published rates and a dated digital experience compared to online-first lenders
What is Carrington Mortgage?
Carrington Mortgage Services is a California-based lender and servicer that operates in all or nearly all states. People land on this page for two very different reasons: either they are shopping for a mortgage with damaged credit, or a letter just told them Carrington now services their existing loan. Both are legitimate. Carrington originates new loans and also services a large portfolio of loans it did not originate, many of them government-backed loans transferred from other companies.
As a lender, Carrington’s niche is borrowers other lenders decline. It accepts FHA scores down to 500, works with recent bankruptcies and foreclosures through its non-QM “Flexible Advantage” style programs, and offers bank statement loans for self-employed borrowers. The trade-off is cost: lenders that take more credit risk charge for it, so expect pricing above the national average, which sat in the mid to high 6 percent range for 30-year fixed loans as of mid-2026. Get a full Loan Estimate and compare it against at least two other lenders before committing.
The record is not clean. In November 2022 the CFPB ordered Carrington to pay a $5.25 million penalty for misleading homeowners about CARES Act forbearance protections, charging improper late fees, and botching credit reporting for borrowers in forbearance. Carrington refunded affected customers and the consent order was terminated in July 2025, which formally closed the matter. Ongoing customer complaints look like those of most large servicers: escrow analysis disputes, payment posting delays, and slow paperwork. None of that makes Carrington a scam; it makes it a company you should monitor closely, especially in your first months after a transfer.
Loan types and credit floors
Carrington does not publish live rates. Low-credit and non-QM pricing runs above national averages; always confirm with a Loan Estimate.
If Carrington took over your loan
- 01Your rate, balance, and terms cannot change because of the transfer
- 02For 60 days, payments sent to your old servicer cannot be counted late or fee’d
- 03Re-establish autopay in Carrington’s portal; old autopay setups rarely carry over
- 04Verify escrow line items: taxes, insurance, and any PMI removal date
- 05If something is wrong, send a written notice of error; servicers must investigate under RESPA
- 06Unresolved disputes can be escalated free at consumerfinance.gov
Best for
- Borrowers with credit scores between 500 and 620 who keep getting declined
- Buyers a few years out from bankruptcy or foreclosure
- Self-employed borrowers who need bank statement documentation
- FHA and VA borrowers with thin or rebuilding credit
May not be the right fit if
- Your credit is 680+: mainstream lenders will beat Carrington’s pricing
- You want a slick app-first experience with instant online quotes
- Regulatory history is a dealbreaker for you regardless of remediation