Can you get a house with a credit score needed to buy a house? Technically, yes, although it’s hard. Since there’s no federal law stipulating how low a credit score needed to buy a house, a lender can, generally, offer loans at their own discretion. Lenders are not legally bound to honor lower credit scores than they consider realistic; in fact, some actually prefer that their borrowers have a higher credit score. Still, when a loan isn’t paid back or is taken out with an interest-only payment mode – meaning that you pay interest only on the initial loan, without paying off any of the principal at any time – the result can be disastrous: If a loan is repaid quickly and interest rates are high, you can end up owing more in principle than the home is currently worth.
That said, if you do qualify for an exceptional credit score needed to buy a house, it can be beneficial to do everything possible to save as much money on interest as possible. This will help ensure that you can pay back the mortgage loan in full and on time. Here are several tips for doing just that:
Shop around. Many mortgage lenders do not use the FICO scoring system that is used by the major credit bureaus. You may want to take this into consideration when shopping around. Ask questions about what type of minimum credit scores the companies use. For example, mortgage lenders are not obligated to give poor scores to applicants who have filed for bankruptcy, so you don’t want to assume that all scores are the same. If you have bankruptcy on your credit report, you can work with lenders to find a loan that provides better terms and better payments.
Determine your score. Once you know your FICO score, call or visit various mortgage lenders to inquire about their minimum credit score requirements. While some lenders may require a slightly higher score, others may be willing to work with you. Determine which lenders are willing to consider you as a borrower by asking them why their minimum credit score requirements are different from other lenders.
Look for private mortgage insurance. If you own your own home, you have the right to request a private mortgage insurance policy to cover repair and replacement costs for your property in the event that you need to refinance. Most conventional loans require borrowers to maintain good credit scores in order to qualify, so it makes little sense to get a private mortgage insurance policy to cover repair costs only if you are not going to use it. Similarly, keep in mind that the credit market continues to suffer from the impact of the recession, so it makes sense to seek a variety of options before deciding on a specific policy. In most cases, a private mortgage insurance company will charge higher premiums than a conventional lender.
Consider getting one of several excellent credit report review services. In most cases, you can obtain an overview of your credit history and score from one of these sources. However, if you have exceptional credit, you may also need to get a copy of your credit reports from a few different reporting agencies. If you can find an excellent credit reporting agency for a reasonable price, then you should strongly consider paying for this service in order to obtain your credit score and report from all of the major credit reporting agencies. Otherwise, you could end up paying thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees on your mortgage loan if you do not qualify for excellent credit.