What credit score do you need to buy a house?

People ask me for one score that “gets you a house.” There is not one. There is the floor of the loan program, there is what a specific lender will accept, and there is the score that gets you a payment you actually like. Those are three different things.

What are the minimum credit scores by loan type?

Lenders often add their own minimums ("overlays"). The details and sources for each row are below.

What FHA says

For FHA-insured loans, HUD handbook rules use a decision credit score. At 580 or above, a borrower is eligible for maximum financing, which is how you get to the 3.5% down payment most people talk about.

Between 500 and 579, FHA limits the loan-to-value to 90%, so you need a larger down payment. Below 500, FHA-insured financing is not available under those rules. That comes from HUD's FHA Handbook 4000.1, not from a tip I heard at an open house.

A “decision credit score” has a specific meaning.

If three scores are available, the middle one is used. If two are available, the lower one is used. If only one is available, that one is used. That is also HUD’s language.

What conventional loans usually look like

Conventional loans used to have a firm 620 minimum. In November 2025, Fannie Mae removed it for loans run through its Desktop Underwriter system and now looks at your whole credit picture instead (Fannie Mae announcement). Lenders can still set their own minimums, and stronger scores usually mean better pricing. I am not going to publish a rate chart. Rates change, and they depend on more than one number. Ask your lender what score they need for the loan they are recommending.

MHDC programs have their own floor

If you hope to use Missouri Housing Development Commission assistance, the current First Place and Next Step manuals (revised October 5, 2026) list a minimum credit score of 640, or 660 for manufactured homes. Lenders can require more. Read more in Missouri down payment assistance.

What I tell first-time buyers who are worried about credit

Do not guess. Pull your own reports, look for errors, and talk to a lender before you decide you are “not ready.” I have seen people wait months out of embarrassment when a 20-minute lender call would have told them they could already buy, or told them exactly which account was in the way.

I work with Kaden Roller as a lender. You can use someone else.

Either way, a pre-approval is more useful than a credit-karma screenshot and a late-night search. While that is happening, we can talk about price range, towns, and whether you should be looking at FHA or conventional. See FHA vs conventional and how much cash you may need.

Also know that your score is not the only thing underwriters look at. They look at income, job history, other debts, and cash reserves.

A strong score with a shaky payment-to-income ratio can still be a no. A middling score with clean documentation and a sensible price can still work. That is another reason I do not want you making life decisions off one three-digit number you saw in an app.

How can I raise my score before I apply?

Improving a score is usually boring. That's a good thing. Here's what works:

1. Pay every bill on time from here on.
2. Pay down credit card balances.
3. Don't open new accounts right before applying.
4. Check your reports for errors and dispute them.
5. Ask a lender what would move your score most.

If someone promises to jump your score 100 points this week for a fee, be careful. Real help looks like counseling, a written plan, and time.

Not sure where you stand overall? Take the Buyer Readiness Score, then read how pre-approval works.