One of the most common questions future homebuyers ask is:
“What credit score do I need to buy a house?”
I understand why.
We’ve been trained to watch our credit scores like they’re a financial report card. There’s an app for it. There’s an alert for it. There’s a whole industry built around that three-digit number.
But here’s what I want you to know:
Your credit score is important. It is not the whole story.
When I review someone’s credit for a home loan, I don’t just look at the score. I look at how you got there, how you’ve paid your bills, and, most importantly, what you’ve been doing lately.
Those things matter.
So, What Credit Score Do You Actually Need?
There isn’t one magic number that determines whether you can buy a home.
Different loan programs have different rules. Lenders may also have their own requirements.
Here’s the simple version:
FHA: A 580 score may qualify for the minimum required down payment. Scores between 500 and 579 may be possible with a larger down payment.
VA: The VA itself does not set a minimum credit score, although individual lenders may.
USDA: USDA does not set one minimum credit score for every borrower, although lenders may have their own requirements.
Conventional: Some conventional loans are no longer automatically stopped just because a buyer’s score is below 620.
That last one is important.
For years, many buyers heard that 620 was the magic number for a conventional loan.
In late 2025, Fannie Mae changed how certain conventional loans are reviewed through its automated underwriting system. A score below 620 no longer automatically ends the conversation for those loans.
That does not mean credit scores don’t matter. They absolutely do.
It means I don’t want you deciding you can’t buy a house because someone told you your score isn’t high enough.
Let me look at the whole picture first.
The Same Credit Score Can Tell Two Very Different Stories
Let’s say I have two buyers. Both have a 620 credit score.
Buyer #1 had some financial problems two years ago. But for the last 18 months, everything has been paid on time. Credit card balances are coming down, and there haven’t been any new problems.
Buyer #2 also has a 620. But there have been several late payments in the last few months. The credit cards are close to their limits, and a new collection just appeared.
Same score.
Very different credit history.
That’s why I look at things like:
Have you been paying your bills on time?
Are late payments recent or several years old?
Are your credit cards close to their limits?
Do you have collections or charge-offs?
Have you opened a lot of new credit recently?
Did you have a difficult period and then get back on track?
Are the credit problems from the past—or are they still happening?
The number matters. The story behind the number matters, too.
Your Credit Isn’t the Only Thing That Matters
Here’s something else many buyers don’t realize:
You don’t qualify for a mortgage based on your credit score alone.
I’m also looking at your income, monthly debts, employment, and the money you have available for the purchase.
For example, someone can have an 800 credit score and still have too much monthly debt to qualify for the home they want.
On the other hand, someone with a lower score may have steady income, manageable debt, and a solid recent payment history.
That’s why I want to see the entire picture.
A credit app can give you a score. It can’t tell you whether you can buy a home.
No Credit Is NOT the Same as Bad Credit
This is really important.
Maybe you don’t use credit cards. You pay cash. You don’t have a car loan. You’ve simply never used much traditional credit.
You may have very little credit history—or you may not have a traditional credit score at all.
That does not mean you have bad credit.
Having no credit and having credit that hasn’t been paid well are two very different things.
Some mortgage programs have ways to evaluate buyers who don’t have a traditional credit score. Depending on the program, we may be able to document other bills you’ve paid regularly to show how you manage your financial obligations.
So if someone has told you:
“You don’t have a credit score, so you can’t buy a house,”
please don’t assume that’s the end of the story.
Let’s find out what your actual options are.
Why Is My Mortgage Credit Score Different From My App?
I hear this one all the time.
“Lisa, my app says my score is 700. Why are you showing me something different?”
Because there isn’t just one credit score.
There are different credit-scoring systems, and the score used for a mortgage may be different from the one you see in a free credit app.
There are also three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and the information at each bureau may be slightly different.
That doesn’t mean your credit app is useless. It can be a helpful way to watch your credit and see changes.
But don’t use that number alone to decide whether you’re ready to buy a home.
Let’s look at the credit information that actually matters for your mortgage.
What If My Credit Really Does Need Work?
Then we work on it.
That’s it.
I would much rather tell you:
“Give me a few months. Here’s what I want you to work on.”
That’s better than having you spend a year trying random credit tricks you found online.
And please don’t start paying off collections, closing credit cards, or moving balances around because someone on social media told you it would raise your score.
What works for one person may not work for you.
Your plan might include:
Pay every bill on time. Recent late payments can be especially important when you’re preparing to buy.
Lower credit card balances. High balances compared with your limits can hurt your score.
Be careful about opening new accounts. A new car, credit card, or personal loan can affect your score and how much home you can afford.
Check your credit reports for mistakes. If something isn’t yours or is reporting incorrectly, address it.
Don’t automatically close old accounts. Closing an account may not help your credit the way you think it will.
Have a plan for collections. Don’t assume you should immediately pay every old collection. Let’s look at it first.
Build good recent history. If you’ve had late payments, start creating a new pattern of paying everything on time.
Most importantly:
Stop guessing. Get a plan.
How Fast Can I Improve My Credit?
It depends on what’s hurting it.
For one person, paying down credit card balances may help fairly quickly.
Someone else may need several months of on-time payments after having recent late payments.
Another person may have something reporting incorrectly that needs to be addressed.
That’s why I’m careful when someone asks me:
“How long will it take to fix my credit?”
I haven’t seen your credit yet.
Once I see the whole picture, I can give you a much better idea of what needs attention and what I would work on first.
Don’t Wait for Perfect Credit
This may be the most important thing I tell you.
You do not need perfect credit to have a conversation about buying a home.
And you don’t need to spend the next year trying to reach a credit score you picked because you saw it online.
If buying a home is something you’re thinking about in the next few months—or even sometime next year—I’d rather look at your credit now.
That gives us time.
I’ll tell you what’s helping you, what may be hurting you, and what I would work on first.
If you’re ready now, I’ll tell you.
If you’re not ready yet, I’ll tell you that too—and we’ll build a personalized roadmap to your first home.
No judgment. No guessing.
Just an honest look at where you are and what your next step should be.
Before you start paying things off, closing accounts, or trying to “fix” your credit on your own, let’s talk.
I’ll help you understand where you stand today, what may be getting in the way, and what your next steps should be.
If you’re ready to buy now, great. We’ll talk about your options.
If you’re not ready yet, that’s okay too. We’ll talk about what needs to happen next and map out the steps that get you there.
No pressure. No judgment. No guessing. Just an honest conversation and a plan.
Ready to Find Out Where You Stand?
Schedule a 20-Minute Homebuyer Game Plan with Lisa.
Schedule My 20-Minute Homebuyer Game Plan →
Thinking about buying but not sure where to start? Bring your questions about credit, qualifying, monthly payments, down payment, or anything else that’s keeping you from taking the next step.
Lisa J. Foster
Originating Sales Manager | Senior Mortgage Advisor
Homeowners Financial Group
NMLS #461656
This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend or an offer of credit. Loan programs, credit requirements, and guidelines are subject to change. Loan approval is subject to applicable underwriting requirements.