To get a USAA mortgage, you need to be a current U.S. service member, a veteran, surviving spouse of a military member, or have other military ties. VA loans have their own specific eligibility guidelines, too, including a minimum credit score of 620 in most cases.
Minimum borrower requirements
A 640 minimum credit score is required for a USAA mortgage, and the loan must be for at least $50,000. The lender has options that include no mortgage insurance, no down payment and the ability to finance your VA funding fee.
On average, the lowest credit score for a VA loan is a 620 FICO score. Guaranteed Rate, however, will accept scores as low as 580 if the loan amount is under $647,200. They will accept a score of 600 for loan amounts under $970,800, and anything above that, a 620 as the lowest score.
There is no minimum credit score requirement. Instead, VA requires a lender to review the entire loan profile.
Most lenders require a minimum credit score of 620 or higher before approving VA loans.
Ideally, on a VA loan, home buyers will want to have achieved a credit score of 580 or higher, although this varies from lender to lender. VA loans don't have risk-based pricing adjustments, which means a creditor will not set the price or other credit terms based on the home buyer's risk of nonpayment.
Best VA Loan Rates for 620 TO 629 Credit Score
One positive about qualifying for a VA Loan is that there is no down payment required. Even if you have a credit score of 620, 625 to 629, so long as you are active military, a veteran or a reservist, you should qualify for a VA mortgage.
The average VA loan credit score is around 700 in the United States. With a credit score of 650, 655 or 659, you will still be eligible for a VA mortgage but at a higher interest rate than someone with a 725 credit score or even a 670 credit score.
VA loan: Minimum credit score 580-620
VA loans also typically have the lowest interest rates on the market. Technically, there's no minimum credit score requirement for a VA loan. However, most lenders impose a minimum score of at least 580. And many start at 620.
The debt-to-income ratio determines if you can qualify for VA loans. The acceptable debt-to-income ratio for a VA loan is 41%. Generally, debt-to-income ratio refers to the percentage of your gross monthly income that goes towards debts. In fact, it is the ratio of your monthly debt obligations to gross monthly income.
Though most Veterans will qualify for the loan quickly, there's always a chance that your application will be denied.
If you are eligible for a VA loan (which are exclusively for veterans), you may be able to qualify with a 588 credit score.
USAA is a good mortgage lender to check out if you're VA loan-eligible. In J.D. Power's satisfaction survey, USAA is top-rated by its mortgage customers year after year. It has special expertise in serving veterans, military members, and their families, and would be a great resource for all your VA loan needs.
The USAA score is an Experian VantageScore, which is Experian Credit Union's own personal brand.
USAA exclusively offers prequalification to its members. Before you can receive preapproval offers in the mail or check your prequalification opportunities, you'll need to be eligible for membership and go through the membership signup process.
Most VA lenders allow credit scores starting at 620, though it may be possible to find a lender with credit score requirements starting at 580. Veterans First currently requires a FICO score “around 620” for a VA loan.
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.
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.
The average VA loan is around $210,000. The VA guarantees up to 25% of loans over $144,000. The percentage depends on whether a borrower makes a down payment. Most VA loans are obtained without a down payment; therefore, most VA loans receive 25% backing by the federal government.
In 2020, the minimum score range that's needed to qualify for a VA home loan is between 580 and 660. A credit score of 700, in other words, will generally be regarded as sufficient by a private lender.
While the VA itself doesn't set a required minimum credit score for a VA loan, most mortgage lenders will want to see a credit score above 620 FICO. Some lenders may go lower, but borrowers often incur additional scrutiny and lender requirements.
FHA loans are intended for people with lower credit; they allow a minimum credit score between 500 and 580. If your FICO score is below 580, you'll need a 10% down payment. If it's above 580, you only need to put 3.5% down.
70% of U.S. consumers' FICO® Scores are higher than 660. What's more, your score of 660 is very close to the Good credit score range of 670-739. With some work, you may be able to reach (and even exceed) that score range, which could mean access to a greater range of credit and loans, at better interest rates.