The credit score needed to buy a house is not a single magic number. A buyer with a 590 score might qualify for an FHA mortgage, while someone with a 700 score could still be turned down because of debt or unreliable income. More importantly, qualifying and getting an attractive interest rate are two different questions.
Mortgage shoppers should look at three things: the rules for their loan program, the credit score their lender actually uses, and the pricing tier that score falls into. A few points can matter when they move you across a tier boundary.
Minimum Credit Scores by Mortgage Type
Conventional loans
The often-quoted conventional minimum of 620 is no longer universal. In November 2025, Fannie Mae removed its fixed minimum third-party credit score requirement for new loans evaluated through Desktop Underwriter, its automated underwriting system. Instead, that system evaluates overall credit risk. This does not guarantee approval with a low score, and individual lenders may apply stricter rules.
Fannie Mae’s manually underwritten loans still have credit score requirements that vary with the mortgage’s characteristics. Freddie Mac loans have their own underwriting standards. If you are searching for a minimum credit score mortgage, ask whether your lender is using automated underwriting, manual underwriting, or an additional lender-imposed minimum.
FHA loans
FHA guidelines generally allow a 3.5% down payment with a qualifying credit score of at least 580. Scores from 500 through 579 generally require at least 10% down. A score below 500 does not qualify under these standard thresholds. Lenders can set higher minimums, so meeting FHA’s published floor is not the same as receiving an approval.
VA loans
The Department of Veterans Affairs does not set a minimum credit score for VA-backed home loans. Participating lenders still evaluate repayment history, income, debts and other risks, and may have their own score policies. Eligible military borrowers should compare lenders rather than assume a particular score automatically disqualifies them.
USDA loans
USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program has no universal agency minimum credit score. Creditworthiness is assessed through the underwriting process, and lenders may impose score requirements. Eligibility also depends on income, property location and other program rules. A commonly mentioned 640 score is not a blanket USDA rule.
Why Mortgage Credit Tiers Matter More Than One Minimum
A minimum tells you where an application might become possible. Mortgage credit tiers help explain why two approved buyers can receive different quotes. For many conventional loans, pricing adjustments depend partly on the representative credit score and the loan-to-value ratio, which reflects how much you borrow compared with the home’s value.
Fannie Mae’s published pricing grid distinguishes score bands such as 780 and above, 760–779, 740–759, 720–739, 700–719, 680–699, 660–679, 640–659 and 639 or below. Those are pricing categories, not universal approval cutoffs. Adjustments can also differ with down payment, property type and eligibility for special pricing treatment.
Consider two otherwise similar buyers with mortgage scores of 739 and 740. Their scores are only one point apart, yet they fall into different conventional pricing bands. Depending on the loan details, that difference could change the lender’s price. It does not mean every lender must quote a lower rate at 740, because margins, mortgage insurance and other costs also matter.
Instead of chasing an arbitrary 800, ask your loan officer which next score threshold would improve your actual quote. Someone at 738 may have a more useful short-term goal than someone at 742.
How Lenders Choose Your Middle FICO Score
Your banking app may show a score that differs from the score used for a mortgage. Credit reports can produce different results across bureaus and scoring models. Mortgage lenders often obtain scores from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion using permitted mortgage scoring models; newer approved models are also entering use.
Under Fannie Mae’s representative-score method, when three scores are available for one borrower, the lender selects the middle score. For scores of 681, 719 and 742, the middle FICO score is 719, not the average of the three. If only two scores are available, the lower score is selected.
For a loan with multiple scored borrowers, Fannie Mae generally uses the lowest of their individual representative scores for loan-level pricing. Certain manually underwritten eligibility tests can instead use an average of borrowers’ median scores.
What to Do Before Requesting Mortgage Quotes
Start by obtaining your credit reports and reviewing them for errors, especially incorrectly reported late payments or balances. Checking your own reports does not damage your scores. If an error is present, dispute it with the reporting company and allow time for corrections to appear.
Next, reduce revolving credit card balances when practical, keep every payment on time and avoid unnecessary new credit applications. Ask a loan officer whether a documented balance change could improve your mortgage score before a new credit report is ordered. Do not assume that a consumer-app score will move by the same number of points.
Also compare your expected monthly payment with your income and existing debts. A strong score cannot compensate for an unaffordable mortgage. For related planning, explore topics such as how to improve your credit score before buying a house, how debt-to-income ratio affects mortgage approval, and how much house you can afford.
When collecting offers, request Loan Estimates from several lenders for the same loan type, down payment and rate-lock assumptions. Compare the rate, annual percentage rate, lender fees and mortgage insurance rather than relying on one headline rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a house with a 600 credit score?
Possibly. An FHA loan may be an option with the required down payment and an approving lender. Other programs may also consider the application, but eligibility depends on more than your score. Expect to compare lender requirements carefully.
Is 620 still the minimum credit score for a conventional mortgage?
No single 620 minimum applies to every conventional loan. Fannie Mae’s automated Desktop Underwriter path no longer imposes that fixed score floor, while manual underwriting and lenders’ own rules may have minimums.
What credit score typically gets better mortgage rates?
Higher scores, especially in the mid-to-high 700s and above, generally improve pricing options. But there is no guaranteed rate at any specific score. Down payment, loan structure, market conditions and the lender all affect the offer.
Does my spouse’s lower score affect our mortgage rate?
It can. On Fannie Mae loans with multiple borrowers, the lowest representative score generally determines the loan-level credit score used for pricing. Ask lenders to compare eligible application structures without overlooking household income needs.
The Bottom Line
The credit score needed to buy a house depends on the loan, the underwriting route and the lender. FHA’s published thresholds provide one starting point; VA and USDA do not prescribe a universal score minimum; and Fannie Mae’s automated conventional pathway no longer has its former fixed 620 floor. The smarter goal is to find out your actual mortgage score, identify the next meaningful pricing tier and compare complete loan offers before deciding whether to apply now or improve your credit first.