What credit score do you need to buy a house in the United States

Minimums by program

There is a common misunderstanding: people think there is "a" minimum score to buy a house. There is not. There is a minimum per loan program, and each program was designed for a different buyer profile.

• FHA — a federal program built for credit still being established. Accepts 580 with 3.5% down. From 500 to 579 the rule allows 10% down, but few lenders operate there.
• Conventional — the standard loan, backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The usual floor is 620. From 740 the cost drops considerably, because mortgage insurance gets cheaper.
• VA — for service members and veterans. No federal minimum; each lender sets its own floor, usually between 580 and 620. Zero down.
• USDA — for eligible rural areas, with income limits. In practice, 640. Zero down.

One detail changes everything: those numbers are floors, not targets. Entering a loan at the bare minimum means paying the most expensive rate in the tier, every month, for 30 years.

Why lenders ask for more than the rule

FHA allows 580. You call a lender and hear "our minimum is 620". Both are correct. The program sets the federal floor; the lender putting up the money can add its own requirements, because it carries part of the risk.

That has an important practical consequence: a "no" from one lender does not mean you do not qualify. It means you do not qualify at that lender, under that policy, right now. Ask for the reason in writing — lenders must disclose the principal reasons for a denial.

The app score is not the mortgage score

This is the point that causes the most frustration. The number in your card app is usually a general-purpose model built for monitoring. Mortgage lending pulls reports from all three bureaus at once — the tri-merge — and uses mortgage-specific scoring models.

The gap between the two numbers is frequently more than 30 points, almost always downward. Someone who sees 640 in an app can show 605 in underwriting, and find out at the worst possible moment: with a purchase contract already signed.

In 2025 and 2026 this entered a transition. The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac authorized additional score models on backed loans while keeping the three-bureau report requirement. Because the rule is changing, the only reliable answer about "which score counts in my case" comes from the lender reviewing your file. Source: Freddie Mac — Credit Score Models.

What each range costs monthly

Score does not just decide whether you are approved. It decides what you pay. Over 30 years, a rate difference that looks small turns into tens of thousands of dollars.

Two buyers of the same house, with the same down payment, can have noticeably different payments purely because of the score tier — and on conventional loans, mortgage insurance also costs more at lower scores. That is why moving from 610 to 640 before buying is often worth more than waiting for the dream house to appear.

To see that math with your numbers, use the simulator: it shows the likely program, the minimum down payment and the estimated payment with tax and insurance.

What to do if you are short

In order of impact, for people in a hurry:

1. Pull all three reports at AnnualCreditReport.com — free, and the only site authorized by law. You cannot fix what you have not read.
2. Look for errors before looking for blame. An account that is not yours, a balance on a debt you paid, a wrong delinquency date. Those are disputable, with a 30-day legal investigation window.
3. Lower card utilization. The fastest lever there is. Reducing the balance before the issuer's reporting date usually shows on the next report.
4. Do not open new credit now. Every application leaves an inquiry and lowers your average account age — the opposite of what an underwriter wants to see.
5. Do not finance a car before the house. The vehicle payment enters the debt-to-income calculation and can cut tens of thousands from the home price you qualify for.

And the part nobody likes to hear: if your history is six months old, no dispute will fix that. The path is building history with discipline, and that takes 6 to 12 months.

Frequently asked questions on this topic

---