Can I buy a house with a 528 credit score?
Key takeaways. You can get a mortgage with a credit score as low as 620, 580 or even 500, depending on the type of loan. Some mortgage lenders offer bad credit loans with more flexible qualifying requirements but higher costs. Others offer free credit counseling to help you improve your score before applying for a loan ...
Generally speaking, you'll likely need a score of at least 620 — what's classified as a “fair” rating — to qualify with most lenders. With a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan, though, you might be able to get approved with a score as low as 500.
| Lender | Loan Amounts | APRs |
|---|---|---|
| Upstart | $1,000 - $50,000 | 6.4% - 35.99% |
| Oportun | $300 - $18,500 | 10.07% - 35.95% |
| OneMain Financial | $1,500 - $20,000 | 18% - 35.99% |
| RISE | $500 - $5,000 | 60% - 299% |
Can I get a personal loan with an 528 credit score? To be sure, most personal lenders want to see a credit score significantly higher than a 528, so you may have a challenge finding a lender willing to approve you.
| Type of Credit | Do You Qualify? |
|---|---|
| Secured Credit Card | YES |
| Home Loan | YES (FHA Loan) |
| Unsecured Credit Card | MAYBE |
| Auto Loan | NO |
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 528 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
To qualify for a conventional loan, you'll need a credit score of at least 620, though some lenders may choose to approve conventional mortgage applications only for borrowers with credit scores of 680 and up.
To qualify for an FHA-insured loan, you need a minimum credit score of 580 for a loan with a 3.5% down payment, and a minimum score of 500 with 10% down. However, many FHA lenders require credit scores of at least 620.
You can borrow anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000+ with a 580 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.
The time it takes to raise your credit score from 500 to 700 can vary widely depending on your individual financial situation. On average, it may take anywhere from 12 to 24 months of responsible credit management, including timely payments and reducing debt, to see a significant improvement in your credit score.
How rare is 900 credit score?
It's exceedingly rare for anyone to have a credit score over 900, as most credit scoring models have a maximum limit of 850, and even achieving that score is uncommon.
Some of the easiest loans to get approved for if you have bad credit include payday loans, no-credit-check loans, and pawnshop loans. Personal loans with essentially no approval requirements typically charge the highest interest rates and loan fees.
| Lender | Loan Amounts | Credit Score Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Upstart | $1,000 - $50,000 | None |
| Oportun | $300 - $18,500 | None |
| OneMain Financial | $1,500 - $20,000 | None |
| RISE | $500 - $5,000 | None |
You can likely borrow anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $50,000 with a 500 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.
Credit scores can drop due to a variety of reasons, including late or missed payments, changes to your credit utilization rate, a change in your credit mix, closing older accounts (which may shorten your length of credit history overall), or applying for new credit accounts.
Ask Someone To Co-Sign
Getting a personal loan with a co-signer that has a strong credit score and a solid income can boost your application. Your co-signer – ideally, a family member or close friend – will apply alongside you, and you'll both be responsible for repayment of the loan.
If you need cash before your next paycheck, there are places you can turn. You can get a $500 loan via a personal loan, payday loan, payday alternative loan, cash advance app, or credit card cash advance. However, some options are better than others.
Some types of mortgages have specific minimum credit score requirements. A conventional loan requires a credit score of at least 620, but it's ideal to have a score of 740 or above, which could allow you to make a lower down payment, get a more attractive interest rate and save on private mortgage insurance.
Most used auto loans go to borrowers with minimum credit scores of at least 675. For new auto loans, most borrowers have scores of around 730. The minimum credit score needed for a new car may be around 600, but those with excellent credit often get lower rates and lower monthly payments.
What is the average credit score in the United States?
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.
If you follow the 2.5 times your income rule, you divide the cost of the home by 2.5 to determine how much money you need to earn annually to afford it. Based on this rule, you would need to earn $100,000 per year to comfortably purchase a $250,000 home.
In other words, the purchase price of a house should equal the total amount of the mortgage loan and the down payment. Often, a down payment for a home is expressed as a percentage of the purchase price. As an example, for a $250,000 home, a down payment of 3.5% is $8,750, while 20% is $50,000.
| Annual Percentage Rate (APR) | Monthly payment (15 year) | Monthly payment (30 year) |
|---|---|---|
| 6.00% | $2,109.64 | $1,498.88 |
| 6.25% | $2,143.56 | $1,539.29 |
| 6.50% | $2,177.77 | $1,580.17 |
| 6.75% | $2,212.27 | $1,621.50 |
The three primary factors that can disqualify you from getting an FHA loan are a high debt-to-income ratio, poor credit, or lack of funds to cover the required down payment, monthly mortgage payments or closing costs.
