The lender can't answer either one of the above questions without first doing an evaluation of your credit. Mortgage rates are tied to this. More on that, later. Whether or not a lender can make a loan, and what kind of rate may be offered, is directly tied to your credit evaluation. If you can't get the loan you want, or if your credit rating puts you into a high rate, there are solutions, but appealing to the lender's generosity is rarely one of them.
Lenders are at the mercy of their investors.
They simply can't fund a loan that doesn't meet the requirements without committing fraud. Many will, however, work with you to clear up problems that are keeping you from your goals. After some time passes, you may be eligible to obtain the loan, or to refinance to a lower rate. Building or Rebuilding Your Credit Past credit problems, such as slow pays, charge-offs, repossessions, and even bankruptcy and foreclosure are not insurmountable obstacles to obtaining a mortgage loan. If such debts are paid, and bankruptcies discharged, time does a great job of polishing your profile.