What credit score do you need to buy a house?
The floors are lower than people think: 620 for most conventional loans, 580 for an FHA loan with 3.5 percent down, and 500 for FHA with 10 percent down. VA and USDA loans have no official minimum, though lenders usually want 620.
The floor is not the goal. Pricing improves in tiers as your score climbs, and the meaningful break points sit around 700 and 740. On a 30-year loan, the rate gap between a 640 and a 760 borrower can mean tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage.
If you are six months out from buying, the highest-leverage moves are paying revolving balances below 30 percent of their limits and disputing any errors on your reports at annualcreditreport.com, the actual free government-mandated site.
You can get an FHA mortgage at 580 and a conventional one at 620, but the real prize starts around 740, where the best rates live.
- HUD FHA lending standards
- Fannie Mae eligibility matrix
- AnnualCreditReport.com
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https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/what-credit-score-to-buy-a-house/Everybody Asks. (2026, July 28). What credit score do you need to buy a house? https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/what-credit-score-to-buy-a-house/“What credit score do you need to buy a house?” Everybody Asks, 28 July 2026, https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/what-credit-score-to-buy-a-house/.“What credit score do you need to buy a house?” Everybody Asks. Last modified July 28, 2026. https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/what-credit-score-to-buy-a-house/.This page summarizes the primary sources listed above. For academic or encyclopedic work, cite those primary sources directly wherever possible.