What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a House?
Updated July 9, 2026 · SmartRates Editorial Team
⚡ In short
Minimum credit score requirements vary by loan program. Conventional loans following Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines commonly require a minimum score around 620. FHA loans, insured by HUD, allow a minimum score of 580 with a 3.5% down payment, or 500–579 with a 10% down payment. VA and USDA loans do not set a fixed minimum score at the federal program level, though individual lenders commonly apply their own minimums.
📌 Key facts
- Conventional loan minimum: commonly 620, per Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines
- FHA loan minimum: 580 for 3.5% down, or 500–579 for 10% down, per HUD guidelines
- VA and USDA loans: no fixed federal minimum score, but lender-specific overlays commonly apply
- A higher score generally qualifies a borrower for a lower interest rate, independent of the program's minimum approval threshold
🏛️ Official sources
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Score minimums by loan type
Conventional loans, which follow underwriting guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, commonly require a minimum credit score around 620. FHA loans, insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), allow a minimum score of 580 with a 3.5% down payment, or a score of 500–579 with a 10% down payment. VA loans, guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible service members and veterans, and USDA loans, backed by the Department of Agriculture for eligible rural properties, do not set a fixed minimum score at the federal program level.
Lender overlays above the program minimum
Individual lenders frequently apply their own minimum score requirements — known as overlays — that are stricter than the minimum set by the loan program itself. This means two lenders offering the same FHA or VA loan program can have different actual approval thresholds.
How score affects the rate offered, not just approval
Beyond the approval threshold, lenders apply risk-based pricing, meaning the specific interest rate offered on an approved loan is influenced by the borrower's credit score, with higher scores generally qualifying for lower rates, alongside other factors like loan type, term, and down payment.
Which credit score version lenders use
Mortgage lenders commonly use older, mortgage-specific versions of the FICO scoring model — rather than the newest general-purpose FICO version — as part of underwriting, based on requirements set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other loan investors. This means the score a borrower sees through a consumer credit monitoring service can differ from the specific score a mortgage lender pulls during underwriting, even on the same day and from the same bureau.
Using scores from multiple bureaus
When a mortgage applicant has scores from all three credit bureaus, many lenders use the middle of the three scores — not the average or the highest — as the score used for underwriting decisions on a single-applicant loan. For a loan with two borrowers, lenders commonly use the lower of each applicant's middle score between the two borrowers.
How derogatory marks affect approval separately from the score
Beyond the numeric score itself, some loan programs apply separate waiting-period rules after specific derogatory events, such as a prior bankruptcy or foreclosure, before an applicant becomes eligible again — these waiting periods are set by the loan program and can apply even to an applicant whose score has since recovered to an otherwise qualifying level.
Credit report review before applying
Because a mortgage credit pull can surface errors or outdated information that an applicant wasn't aware of, reviewing a free credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com ahead of a mortgage application allows time to dispute inaccuracies with the credit bureau before those errors are factored into a lender's underwriting decision. The dispute process itself is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which sets specific timelines for how bureaus must respond to a dispute.
Co-borrowers and score requirements
When a loan application includes a co-borrower, such as a spouse or family member, the lender's use of the lower middle score between the two borrowers means that a strong co-borrower score does not automatically offset a weaker one on a joint application, since underwriting decisions commonly rely on the lower of the two figures rather than an average.
Jumbo loans and score requirements
A jumbo loan — a mortgage exceeding the conforming loan limit set annually by the Federal Housing Finance Agency for conventional loans — is not eligible for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac backing and is instead held directly by the lender or sold to private investors. Because jumbo loans fall outside standard conforming guidelines, lenders commonly apply stricter credit score and down payment requirements than for a conforming conventional loan of the same general type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a mortgage be approved with a 580 credit score?+
It's possible under FHA guidelines with a 3.5% down payment, subject to the individual lender's approval and any additional overlay requirements.
Does a higher credit score always produce a lower mortgage rate?+
Generally, since lenders apply risk-based pricing tiers, though the specific rate also depends on loan type, term, down payment, and broader market rate conditions at the time of the loan.
Do VA loans have a minimum credit score set by the government?+
The VA loan program itself does not set a fixed minimum credit score; individual VA-approved lenders commonly apply their own minimum score requirements.
Which credit score does a mortgage lender actually use?+
Lenders commonly use an older, mortgage-specific FICO model version, and for applicants with scores from all three bureaus, typically use the middle score rather than the average or highest.
Does a past bankruptcy affect mortgage eligibility even after the score recovers?+
Some loan programs apply a separate mandatory waiting period after a bankruptcy or foreclosure, independent of the applicant's current credit score, before eligibility resumes.
Do jumbo loans always require a higher credit score than conforming loans?+
Lenders commonly apply stricter score and down payment requirements on jumbo loans than on conforming conventional loans, since jumbo loans fall outside Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, though specific requirements vary by lender.
Does refinancing a mortgage require meeting the same credit score minimums as a purchase loan?+
Refinance loans are generally underwritten using the same loan-program score minimums that apply to a purchase loan of the same type, though specific lender overlays can differ between a purchase and a refinance transaction.