What's The Minimum Credit Scores To Qualify For a Home Mortgage?

Five Factors That Determine Your Credit Score:

“A low credit score can make it less likely that you would qualify for the most affordable rates, and could even lead to rejection of your mortgage application,” says Bruce McClary, senior VP of communications for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. “It’s still possible to be approved with a low credit score, but you may have to add a co-signer or reduce the overall amount you plan to borrow.” The minimum credit score needed for most mortgages is typically around 620. However, government-backed mortgages like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans typically have lower credit requirements than conventional fixed-rate loans and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs).

What is a good credit score for buying a house?

There’s no single, specific credit score that’ll automatically qualify you for a mortgage (though having the maximum 850 score certainly never hurts). However, while they don’t set precise qualifying numbers, lenders do have minimum credit score requirements. When considering the best credit score to buy a house, many lenders use the FICO (Fair Isaac Corp.) model for credit scores. It grades consumers on a 300 to 850 point range, with a higher score indicating less risk to the lender. If you have a median score of 580 and your co-borrower has a 720 credit score, the average credit score would be 650. Because the minimum qualifying score for conventional loans is 620, this can mean the difference between qualifying for a mortgage and not.

800 or higher: Exceptional
740-799: Very good
670-739: Good
580-669: Fair
579 or lower: Poor