The minimum credit score to buy a house in 2026 ranges from 500 (FHA with 10% down) to 700+ (jumbo), depending on the loan program. But the minimum to qualify and the score that gets you a good rate are very different numbers. Here's what each loan type actually requires and where you should aim.

Minimum credit scores by loan type

Loan type Absolute minimum Realistic minimum* Down payment
FHA (10% down) 500 580 10%
FHA (3.5% down) 580 620 3.5%
Conventional (Fannie/Freddie) 620 660 3–20%
VA loan No official minimum 620–640 0%
USDA (rural) 580 (automated) 640 0%
Jumbo 680 720 10–20%

*"Realistic" reflects the score most lenders actually approve at without significant overlays — the extra requirements lenders layer on top of program minimums.

What credit score actually saves you money

Qualifying for a mortgage is not the same as getting a good rate. Conventional loan pricing is tiered:

  • 760+ — Best pricing tier, lowest rate
  • 740–759 — Roughly 0.25% higher rate
  • 720–739 — Roughly 0.50% higher
  • 700–719 — Roughly 0.75% higher
  • 680–699 — Roughly 1.0% higher
  • 660–679 — Roughly 1.5% higher
  • 640–659 — Roughly 2.0% higher

On a $400,000, 30-year fixed mortgage, that pricing spread translates to a real-money difference of roughly $250–$350 per month between a 660 FICO and a 760 FICO. Over 30 years, that's $90,000+ in interest.

What lenders actually check

Mortgage lenders pull a tri-merge report from all three bureaus and use the middle of the three FICO scores as your qualifying score. They use the older mortgage versions of FICO (FICO 2, 4, 5) — not the FICO 8 you see on Credit Karma. This is one of the most common surprises for first-time buyers.

If you and your spouse apply jointly, the lender takes the lower of your two middle scores as the qualifying score. This is why we often recommend the higher-scoring spouse apply alone if the lower spouse's scores would push the loan into a worse pricing tier.

Beyond the score — what else matters

A 740 score does not guarantee approval. Lenders also review:

  1. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) — Total monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income. Conventional caps at 43–45%, FHA goes to 50–57% with compensating factors.
  2. Employment history — Two-year history in the same field is the standard. Self-employed buyers need two years of tax returns.
  3. Cash reserves — Two months of mortgage payments saved is typical; jumbo loans often require six months.
  4. Recent credit activity — New accounts, hard inquiries, and rapid score changes within the 90 days before closing can trigger a re-underwrite.
  5. Down payment source — Funds must be "seasoned" (in your account 60+ days) or gifted with a documented gift letter.

What to do if your score is below the threshold

If you're under 620, the highest-leverage moves are:

  1. Pay down revolving balances first. Credit utilization is responsible for 30% of your FICO score. Bringing a card from 78% to 8% utilization can produce a 30 to 60-point jump in one statement cycle. See our credit utilization guide for the math.
  2. Don't close old accounts. Average age of credit is 15% of your score. The old no-fee card from 2014 is helping you.
  3. Dispute reporting errors. Bureau errors are common — wrong balances, duplicate collections, accounts that don't belong to you. Our step-by-step dispute guide walks through the process.
  4. Address collections. A single recent collection can drop scores 50+ points. Our collection removal guide covers the four legitimate removal paths.
  5. Avoid new credit applications. Each hard inquiry pulls 2 to 5 points and signals risk during underwriting.

In our practice, clients who start at 580–620 and commit to a full repair cycle typically gain 40 to 100 points over 3 to 6 months — enough to move from FHA-only to conventional eligibility and save thousands at closing.

How long does mortgage prep actually take?

If your scores are within 20 points of your target, a focused 60-day push (paying down cards, disputing one or two errors, avoiding new credit) is usually enough. If you're 50+ points away or have collections, judgments, or recent lates, plan on a 3 to 6 month engagement before applying.

A common mistake we see: buyers find the perfect house in month one of repair, scramble to qualify, accept a worse-than-needed rate, and pay for that decision for 30 years. The smarter sequence is repair → pre-approval → house hunt — not the reverse.

What "shopping for a mortgage" actually means

Mortgage inquiries are treated favorably by FICO: all mortgage inquiries within a 45-day window count as a single inquiry. This means you can (and should) get rate quotes from at least three lenders. Don't be afraid of multiple pulls — the scoring model is built to accommodate exactly this behavior.

Compare:

  • Interest rate
  • APR (rate + fees, the real cost)
  • Origination fees
  • Discount points (paying upfront to lower rate)
  • Mortgage insurance (FHA is for the life of the loan; conventional drops off at 20% equity)

The bottom line

You can buy a house with a 580 credit score. You probably shouldn't, if you can avoid it. The score that lets you buy is rarely the score that lets you buy well.

If you're 12 to 18 months away from buying and want to walk into pre-approval at a 740+ instead of a 620, book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll build the timeline backward from your target close date and tell you exactly which moves matter most for your file.