To qualify for a conventional loan, you'll typically need a credit score of at least 620. Borrowers with credit scores of 740 or higher can make lower down payments and tend to get the most attractive conventional loan rates, however.
Conventional Loans
A conventional loan is a mortgage that's not insured by a government agency. Most conventional loans are backed by mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae says that conventional loans typically require a minimum credit score of 620. But lenders can raise their own requirements.
While you may have the capacity to make your monthly mortgage payments, most lenders won't approve your loan if you don't meet the baseline requirements for a conventional mortgage, including a credit score, verifiable income, and an appealing debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.
To qualify for a 3-percent-down conventional loan, you typically need a credit score of at least 620, a two-year employment history, steady income, and a debt-to-income ratio (DTI) below 43 percent. If you apply for the HomeReady or Home Possible loan, there are also income limits.
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.
To qualify for a conventional loan, you'll typically need a credit score of at least 620. Borrowers with credit scores of 740 or higher can make lower down payments and tend to get the most attractive conventional loan rates, however.
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.
For example, conventional loans require a minimum 620 score for approval, while borrowers may qualify for a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) with a score as low as 500. Find a cosigner. If your loan is denied because you don't earn enough to qualify, a cosigner could save the day.
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.
The mortgage approval process can take anywhere from 30 days to several months, depending on the status of the market and your personal circumstances.
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.
Closing costs are paid according to the terms of the purchase contract made between the buyer and seller. Usually the buyer pays for most of the closing costs, but there are instances when the seller may have to pay some fees at closing too.
The most commonly used FICO Score in the mortgage-lending industry is the FICO Score 5. According to FICO, the majority of lenders pull credit histories from all three credit reporting agencies as they evaluate mortgage applications. Mortgage lenders may also use FICO Score 2 or FICO Score 4 in their decisions as well.
So a credit score of 640 is on the lower end of the spectrum for many mortgage lenders. It should get you approved, but it's typically not high enough to get the best interest rates on any type of loan. Plus, your credit score is only one piece of the underwriting puzzle.
During your home loan process, lenders typically look at two months of recent bank statements. You need to provide bank statements for any accounts holding funds you'll use to qualify for the loan, including money market, checking, and savings accounts.
High Interest Rate:
The most obvious Red Flag that you are taking a personal loan from the wrong lender is the High Interest Rate. The rate of interest is the major deciding factor when choosing the lender because personal loans have the highest interest rates compared to other types of loans.
Many recurring monthly bills should not be included in calculating your debt-to-income ratio because they represent fees for services and not accrued debt. These typically include routine household expenses such as: Monthly utilities, including garbage, electricity, gas and water services.
FHA loans only require a 3.5% down payment. High DTI. If you have a high debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, FHA provides more flexibility and typically lets you go up to a 55% ratio (meaning your debts as a percentage of your income can be as much as 55%). Low credit score.
Key Takeaways. The debt-to-income (DTI) ratio measures the amount of income a person or organization generates in order to service a debt. A DTI of 43% is typically the highest ratio a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage, but lenders generally seek ratios of no more than 36%.
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.
The types of programs that are available to borrowers with a 620 credit score are: conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans, jumbo loans, and non-prime loans. With a 620 score, you may potentially be eligible for several different types of mortgage programs.
For a Wells Fargo mortgage, you'll need a minimum credit score of 600 (with a down payment of 3% or more) to qualify for a conventional loan under the yourFirst Mortgage program.