Yes. The Conventional 97 program allows 3 percent down and is offered by most lenders. Fannie Mae's HomeReady and Freddie Mac's Home Possible programs also allow 3 percent down with extra flexibility for income and credit qualification. FHA loans come in a close second, with a 3.5 percent minimum down payment.
First-time homebuyers who can't afford a large down payment but would otherwise qualify for a home loan may be eligible for a 3% down payment mortgage. If you're good at managing your credit and meet certain requirements, this could be the option for you.
The minimum down payment required for a conventional mortgage is 3%, but borrowers with lower credit scores or higher debt-to-income ratios may be required to put down more. You'll also likely need a larger down payment for a jumbo loan or a loan for a second home or investment property.
Conventional Loan Requirements
It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly payments.
Cons: Why a conventional mortgage may not be right for you
The eligibility requirements for conventional loans are more stringent than government-backed loans. Conforming loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac soon after being created to help keep mortgages affordable for homebuyers.
No down payment is required for VA, USDA and doctor loan programs detailed above. What credit score do I need to buy a house with no money down? No-down-payment lenders usually set 620 as the lowest credit score to buy a house.
An offer with a higher down payment will be more attractive to the seller and may help you outbid your competition. Price matters, of course, but it's not everything. Sellers also have to take into consideration the likelihood of the deal closing.
People with little cash for a down payment and a modest credit rating typically qualify for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages. FHA loans require a lower minimum down payment and lower credit scores than conventional loans. FHA loans are backed by the government, unlike conventional loans.
Conventional loan debt-to-income (DTI) ratios
The maximum debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for a conventional loan is 45%. Exceptions can be made for DTIs as high as 49.9% with strong compensating factors like a high credit score and/or lots of cash reserves.
Even though a conventional loan is the most common mortgage, it is surprisingly difficult to get. Borrowers need to have a minimum credit score of about 640 in order to qualify—the highest minimum score of all mortgage products—and have a debt-to-income ratio of 43% or less.
Sellers often prefer conventional buyers because of their own financial views. Because a conventional loan typically requires higher credit and more money down, sellers often deem these reasons as a lower risk to default and traits of a trustworthy buyer.
Options for putting down less than 20 percent
Here are some common options: A conventional loan with private mortgage insurance (PMI). “Conventional” just means that the loan is not part of a specific government program. Typically, conventional loans require PMI when you put down less than 20 percent.
A conventional loan requires a credit score of at least 620, but it's ideal to have a score of 740 or above, which could allow you to make a lower down payment, get a more attractive interest rate and save on private mortgage insurance.
Borrowers with lower credit scores might be required to make a down payment of 5% or more to get a conventional loan, meaning they'd need to finance 95% of the home's value. This is sometimes referred to as a “5 down conventional loan” or a “conventional 95 mortgage.”
It's better to put 20 percent down if you want the lowest possible interest rate and monthly payment. But if you want to get into a house now and start building equity, it may be better to buy with a smaller down payment — say 5 to 10 percent down.
However, the best possible scenario from a financial planning standpoint would be to have very little, or no, debt of any kind and carry a bigger mortgage payment — meaning buying the house with less money down.
To purchase a $300K house, you may need to make between $50,000 and $74,500 a year. This is a rule of thumb, and the specific salary will vary depending on your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, the type of home loan, loan term, and mortgage rate.
The credit scores and reports you see on Credit Karma should accurately reflect your credit information as reported by those bureaus. This means a couple of things: The scores we provide are actual credit scores pulled from two of the major consumer credit bureaus, not just estimates of your credit rating.
FICO 8 scores range between 300 and 850. A FICO score of at least 700 is considered a good score. There are also industry-specific versions of credit scores that businesses use. For example, the FICO Bankcard Score 8 is the most widely used score when you apply for a new credit card or a credit-limit increase.
If you're unable to make a large payment upfront, conventional loans are available with a down payment as low as 3%. In most cases, borrowers save money in the long run with a conventional loan because there's no upfront mortgage insurance fee, and the monthly insurance payments are cheaper.
Interest rates for FHA loans will be lower than a conventional loan when the borrower has a high credit score and a small down payment. With conventional loans, putting down just 5% will not only result in PMI, but there will be a rate add-on for the high loan to value ratio.
To convert an FHA loan to a conventional home loan, you will need to refinance your current mortgage. The FHA must approve the refinance, even though you are moving to a non-FHA-insured lender.