Can I get a mortgage with a 480 credit score?
FHA loan: 500 credit score
The minimum credit score needed to get an FHA loan through most lenders, including Rocket Mortgage, is 580. A few lenders do offer FHA loans with a minimum score of 500, but these will require a down payment of 10%.
With an 480 credit score, you're unlikely to get approved for a traditional credit card. Credit cards are unsecured forms of debt, so banks tend to be a bit more cautious compared to loans backed by specific assets, like mortgages and auto loans.
Any credit score is salvageable. It just takes time. The good news about a score as low as 480 is that it only takes a few months of not missing any payments, not getting any new collection agency records, and not maxing out credit cards, for the score to go up by 100 points or more.
The minimum credit score needed for most mortgages is typically around 620. However, government-backed mortgages like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans typically have lower credit requirements than conventional fixed-rate loans and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs).
| Type of Credit | Do You Qualify? |
|---|---|
| Secured Credit Card | YES |
| Unsecured Credit Card | NO |
| Personal Loan | NO |
| Auto Loan | NO |
To qualify for an FHA-insured loan, you need a minimum credit score of 580 for a loan with a 3.5% down payment, and a minimum score of 500 with 10% down. However, many FHA lenders require credit scores of at least 620.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 480 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
A 487 credit score can be a sign of past credit difficulties or a lack of credit history. Whether you're looking for a personal loan, a mortgage or a credit card, credit scores in this range can make it challenging to get approved for unsecured credit, which doesn't require collateral or a security deposit.
| Loan duration | Average monthly payments ($4,000 loan) | |
|---|---|---|
| Poor credit | Good credit | |
| 1–12 months | $390.37 | $377.98 |
| 13–24 months | $302.59 | $214.56 |
| 25–36 months | $168.83 | $141.66 |
How can I raise my credit score 100 points overnight?
- Review Your Credit Report. ...
- Pay Your Bills on Time. ...
- Ask for Late Payment Forgiveness. ...
- Keep Credit Card Balances Low. ...
- Keep Old Credit Cards Active. ...
- Become an Authorized User. ...
- Consider a Credit Builder Loan. ...
- Take Out a Secured Credit Card.
- Build Your Credit File. ...
- Don't Miss Payments. ...
- Catch Up On Past-Due Accounts. ...
- Pay Down Revolving Account Balances. ...
- Limit How Often You Apply for New Accounts.
- Be a Responsible Payer. ...
- Limit your Loan and Credit Card Applications. ...
- Lower your Credit Utilisation Rate. ...
- Raise Dispute for Inaccuracies in your Credit Report. ...
- Do not Close Old Accounts.
An FHA mortgage is usually the easiest home loan to get. You can qualify with a credit score as low as 580 (with a 3.5% down payment) or even 500 (with a 10% down payment).
Government-backed loan options, such as FHA, USDA and VA loans, are typically the easiest type of mortgage to get because they may have lower down payment and credit score requirements compared to conventional mortgage loans.
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 major credit reporting agencies as they evaluate mortgage applications. Mortgage lenders may also use FICO Score 2 or FICO Score 4 in their decisions.
A VantageScore from 601 to 660 is considered fair, from 500 to 600 is poor, and from 300 to 499 is very poor. See the table below for a full breakdown. The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to qualify for credit, and at better interest rates and terms.
- Make your payments on time. ...
- Set up autopay or calendar reminders. ...
- Don't open too many accounts at once. ...
- Get credit for paying monthly utility and cell phone bills on time. ...
- Request a credit report and dispute any credit report errors. ...
- Pay attention to your credit utilization rate.
While many trustworthy lenders won't offer you a personal loan if you have a credit score of 550 or lower, there are other ways you may be eligible to get a loan. Apply with a co-borrower: Some lenders give consumers the option to submit a joint application.
The three primary factors that can disqualify you from getting an FHA loan are a high debt-to-income ratio, poor credit, or lack of funds to cover the required down payment, monthly mortgage payments or closing costs.
What credit score is needed to buy a $300 K house?
In case of a $300,000 home, that translates to a down payment of $9,000, which is the lowest possible unless you qualify for a zero-down-payment VA or USDA loan. A 620 credit score is typically required, but lenders might have different rules.
The FHA usually requires two lines of credit for qualifying applicants. If you don't have a sufficient credit history, you can try to qualify through a substitute form.
- Deep subprime (credit scores below 580)
- Subprime (credit scores of 580-619)
- Near-prime (credit scores of 620-659)
- Prime (credit scores of 660-719)
- Super-prime (credit scores of 720 or above)
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
What is a bad FICO credit score? A bad FICO credit score may fall in the fair or poor FICO range. FICO considers a credit score to be fair if it's between 580 and 669, and poor if it's below 580. According to FICO, borrowers with a FICO score in a lower range tend to be viewed as a credit risk.
