What Is A Good Credit Score For A House Loan?
This is because a good credit score is a vital aspect that determines whether one meets the requirements to be approved for a mortgage loan. As you look for a home to buy and seek a mortgage loan to finance your purchase, one of the critical benchmarks that mortgage lenders use is your credit score. This is why your credit score is important to lenders since it tells them how well you have been paying previous credit and therefore whether you are likely to make your mortgage payment on time. What is a good credit score, or FICO, for getting a mortgage?
What Credit Score Range is Considered Best or Good by the Lenders? The credit score required for a mortgage ranges between 700 and above though it slightly differs from one mortgage lender to another. The importance is to get a higher score, as it will allow getting better mortgage terms.
Here is an overview of credit score tiers and what they mean for mortgage approval:
800+ - Exceptional: This is an incredible figure that will allow you to get the lowest interest rates and optimal mortgage terms. Given that, a credit score in this category puts you among the lowest-risk clients as far as the lenders are concerned.
740-799 - Very Good: Such a score on this tier is regarded as good, especially for mortgage usage. You should be eligible to receive a moderate interest rate.
670-739 - Good: A numerical value of 670 and above is regarded as sufficiently high to allow applicants to qualify for the ordinary mortgage and fair interest rates. The higher the figure in this range the better it will be for the company.
620-669 - Fair: Candidates with fair scores can be considered immediately slightly less likely to be approved and will not receive the lowest stated rates. For instance, you might be forced to settle for a more substantial down payment on the property.
580-619 - Poor: Bad credit levels imply that you cannot obtain a mortgage through conventional loan products. You may need to bulk up your score or… apply using other mortgage programs.
Different Aspects That May Affect Your Mortgage Approval While the credit score itself gives lenders a snapshot of your borrowing reputation, lenders also look at what’s actually in your credit report to analyze your eligibility:
- Your payment history: The most critical aspect enabling timely bill payment is the impact that this aspect has on your score. Some requirements are well appreciated by the lenders and some of them include no previous lateness.
- Total outstanding debts: This shows your capacity to handle all your credit responsibilities at once or in one place. This is because the more balances are created, the lower the ability of the scores to reflect the true status of the business.
- Credit history length: Again, the more established credit history you have the better, although a length of 6 months or more is generally acceptable. Credit history duration or length often inversely relates to score where a short credit history is likely to yield a lower score.
- Credit inquiries: This is because the number of recent inquiries for credit shows the lender that you have been applying for financing recently and this can lead to a high credit hunger, which is bad for your score.
- Credit mix: It is desired for lenders to have time-tested handling of both revolving credit, such as credit cards, and installment credit, like auto loans and home loans.
As mentioned earlier, a credit report is a vital tool used by lenders while making mortgage decisions although other factors such as income, assets, saving, and down payment also influence the decision. However, one can have a good credit score, and this puts him/her in a vantage point.
Ways to make the most of your credit standing In case your current score is below 700, do everything possible to improve it in the best interest of your mortgage loan. Some strategies include:
- Always make timely payments on all credit and utility bills, and use the features of an automatic payment if possible so that a missed payment is never made as they can negatively impact credit reports for up to 7 years.
- It is expected that you should lower your credit utilization ratio to below 30% by paying off the balance of revolving debt.
- Do not apply for credit cards or any other accounts before getting a mortgage and do not close them in the process as well. This means that even with a good history, your score can drop due to major activity.
- Avoid going for car financing or other large purchases that include refrigerators, washing machines, etc until after you have closed on your home loan. This too can decrease scores for a while, as well as, excessive credit inquiries or new accounts.
- Pay or settle outstanding collection accounts and rectify inaccurate information in your credit report. Credit card debt can be reduced in a short period, this is by settling the outstanding medical bills that you owe or disputing the credit bureau over certain issues, all these activities can have a positive impact on credit score before engaging in the mortgage.
While the minimum credit score requirements of lenders remain relatively lenient, they have become somewhat more stringent over the years. However, a score of 700 and above, or 740 and above in particular, puts you in great standing to secure a home loan with reasonable interest rates and repay terms once you decide to purchase a dwelling house. Sometimes, it can be beneficial to invest time in tracking your credit score and practicing responsible borrowing behaviors. Credit reputation will work to your advantage when you need to apply for that mortgage to finance the purchase of the next home.
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