Help Buying a Home with Bad Credit

Are you thinking about buying a house with poor credit? Buying with poor credit used to be difficult or even impossible, but things have changed thanks to the growing availability of Federal Housing Administration loans.

FHA has helped millions first time home buyers with less than perfect credit. The minimum FICO score with home loans insured by FHA is 500, which puts it within reach of many people who have had credit difficulties in the past. The good news for millions of renters is that government mortgage programs have been revised with eased credit standards so that programs are available for buying a home with bad credit. Check with our lenders for your eligibility at no cost and no risk.

Not all lending sources offer FHA house loans for people with poor credit, past bankruptcies or collections. Find out if you qualify for an affordable home loan even if you have past credit problems or have been turned down by banks or mortgage companies recently.

FHA has always considered multiple factors beyond the credit scores when considering loans for first time home buyers. In most cases, mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac consider the borrowers' fico score first. This has ruled out millions of people to purchase a house because of bad credit. FHA underwriters have the capacity to analyze the entire profile of an applicant. Over the years this has helped millions of renters become homeowners with affordable FHA mortgages.

Pre-Approval Letters Are Important
Learn how to get pre-approved for a mortgage that best meets your needs. Get qualified before you start shopping.

Most people have personal financial trials that lead to a period of damaged credit. Unfortunately, making payments over 30-days late can raise red flags on your credit report and thus negatively impacting your credit profile. Low credit scores only must be a temporary problem because rectifying your credit can be repaired just as easily with timely payments. There may be nothing more powerful to rebuild your credit than adding a mortgage and making the payment on time every month. Credit repositories consider a mortgage lien an installment payment and when the payment is made as agreed it starts to create a positive momentum to raise your credit score.

Naturally, having a slightly higher FICO score may be valuable in improving some terms of your loan, but it is not crucial. For example, many lenders look favorably on those with a score of 580 or 620. However, FHA interest rates are not affected by a higher score. Learn how to pre-qualify for a mortgage with bad credit.

Comparing FHA and Hard Money Lenders

Remember that FHA is not a lender, but instead, a federal insurance fund that helps curb the risk to lenders who help people with modest credit. You may also have several other options for making your housing dreams come true.

"Hard money" and private lenders often have no minimum credit score, but they will require a significant down payment. This can frequently be 20% to 30% of the total appraised value of the home! Find hard money lenders today.

When it comes to the closing costs of a home, FHA loans give you the opportunity to apply "gift money" from relatives, friends, an employer, or a charitable organization. You may also find some assistance programs in your state or local area that can help.

Because of the availability of assistance in FHA financing, many who have not had the opportunity to save a great deal of money find these loans appealing. In some cases, you may eliminate cash costs entirely by rolling them into your financed amount.

Most underwriters factor in the applicant's credit report heavily when accessing the potential risks. You do not want to walk into the home buying process blindly so you need to balance your credit and income when approaching a mortgage.

8 Things to Help You Get Approved for a Mortgage with Bad Credit Scores

How Do FHA and VA Loans Compare for Home Buying with a Bad Credit History?

The Veterans Administration provides several loan options for former service members. These loans include products that can help you build a home, repair an existing home, buy a parcel of land, or purchase an existing home.

Like FHA and VA home loans are attractive because they have relaxed requirements for credit and income. VA can be superior to FHA in some cases. For example, VA loans do not typically have any minimum credit score requirements, so military borrowers can get help to buy a home with bad credit scores.

FHA has minimum credit score requirement of 500, but the underwriters still approve bad credit home buying loans when the applicant can make a strong case as to why they will make their payments on time each month. Of course, the borrower must be able to demonstrate that they can afford the mortgage payment by supplying accurate income documentation.

However, qualifying for a VA loan means that you must have been honorably or generally discharged from service in the U.S. military. There are few VA loan programs that can assist the relatives of service members or other citizens, so FHA is often a more attainable choice.