What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House?

So what credit score do you need to buy a house?

There’s no universal cutoff, and no lender publishes one magic number. What actually decides it is the loan program you use — each sets its own floor — plus how the rest of your credit file looks.

As a rough map of how lenders read scores: 740+ gets the best available pricing, around 700 is solid, 620–679 is workable but usually more expensive, and below 620 is where the lower-credit programs do the heavy lifting.

Here’s how the main loan types line up — and these are standard programs, not loopholes:

Conventional loans — generally want about a 620 minimum, though the exact rules shift over time and by lender. Higher scores unlock better pricing.

FHA loans — insured by the Federal Housing Administration. A 580 score qualifies with 3.5% down; a 500–579 score can still work with 10% down. FHA is the most common path for lower-credit buyers — see FHA loans with bad credit.

VA loans — for eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and some surviving spouses. There’s no federal minimum score (individual lenders set their own overlays) and no down payment required.

USDA loans — for eligible buyers in designated rural areas. No set score minimum and no down payment, but you must show you can handle the payment.

It’s not just the score — lenders read the whole file

Two people with the exact same score can get different answers, because underwriters look at what is behind the number, not just the number itself. A recent charge-off, an open collection, a pattern of late payments, or a high debt-to-income ratio can each raise questions even when the score looks borderline-okay.

That’s why the same score can mean “approved” for one buyer and “not yet” for another. If your number is being held down by specific items, it’s worth understanding your exact situation — buying a house with bad credit and buying with a charge-off each work a little differently.

How your score changes what the house costs

Approval is only half the story — your score also sets the price. A lower score generally means a higher interest rate, and on a 30-year mortgage even a small rate difference adds up over the life of the loan. Lower-credit borrowers may also pay more for mortgage insurance.

That isn’t a reason to wait forever — a rate can be refinanced later if your situation changes — but it is a reason to make sure your report is accurate before you lock a rate. An error that drags your score down would cost you at the worst possible moment, when your pricing is being set.

Credit-score-and-mortgage red flags

A worry about your score attracts “get approved no matter what” pitches. Be cautious of anyone selling:

What to check before you apply

Whatever your score, the same groundwork puts you in the strongest position:

1. Pull all three credit reports. See exactly what a lender will see on Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — the items, the balances, and the dates.

2. Check every negative item for accuracy. A wrong balance, a duplicate entry, or an account that isn’t yours can hold your score down unfairly. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you can dispute anything inaccurate, and it must be corrected or removed.

3. Talk to an FHA-experienced lender and a HUD-approved counselor. HUD-approved housing counseling is low- or no-cost and can map out a realistic plan for your situation — no upfront-fee “guarantees” required.

4. Get a real pre-approval. A proper pre-approval tells you what you actually qualify for — the loan type, the price range, and the rate — instead of a guess.

What score do you need: do’s and don’ts

The bottom line on the score you need

There isn’t one number that buys a house. The floor depends on the loan program, the price depends on your score, and the decision depends on your whole file. The lever you control is making sure your report is accurate and knowing exactly what a lender will see before you apply.