What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House in 2026?

Minimum Credit Scores by Loan Type

The credit score you need depends on the type of mortgage you are applying for. Here are the minimums for 2026:

The minimum gets you in the door. The score you actually want is 740+ — that is where you unlock the best interest rates, saving tens of thousands over the life of your loan.

How Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage Rate

Your credit score is the single biggest factor in the interest rate you receive. On a $350,000 30-year fixed mortgage, the difference between a 620 and 760 score is dramatic:

A 620 score costs you $146,520 more in interest compared to a 760 score — on the exact same house. Spending 3-6 months improving your score before applying is one of the highest-return financial moves you can make. Use our credit score improvement calculator to see your potential gains.

The 90-Day Credit Score Improvement Plan

Days 1-30: Quick Wins (+20-50 points)

Pay credit card balances below 30% utilization. This is the fastest way to boost your score. If you have $8,000 on a $12,000 limit (67% utilization), paying down to $3,600 (30%) can add 30-50 points in one billing cycle. Below 10% is even better.

Dispute errors on your credit report. Pull all three reports from annualcreditreport.com. FTC research found 79% of reports contain at least one error. Dispute inaccurate late payments, wrong balances, or accounts that are not yours.

Set up autopay for every account. Payment history is 35% of your FICO score. Even one 30-day late payment can drop your score 50-100 points. Autopay for at least the minimum eliminates this risk entirely.

Request credit limit increases. Call your existing card issuers and ask for a limit increase. Most perform a soft pull (no score impact). A higher limit instantly lowers your utilization ratio without paying anything down.

Days 31-60: Building Momentum (+20-40 points)

Pay utilization below 10%. After getting under 30%, push toward single digits. On $12,000 in total limits, keep balances under $1,200. This maximizes the utilization scoring factor.

Become an authorized user. Ask a family member with excellent credit and a long-standing account to add you. Their account history appears on your report, potentially adding years of positive payment history instantly.

Do not open new accounts. Each application creates a hard inquiry (minus 5-10 points) and lowers your average account age. Hold off on new credit until after your mortgage closes.

Days 61-90: Final Optimization (+10-20 points)

Three months of perfect payment history is now established. The positive trend from autopay and low utilization is compounding. Authorized user accounts are fully reporting.

Verify everything: Pull your reports again to confirm disputes were resolved, utilization is reporting correctly, and no new negative items appeared. If anything is wrong, dispute again — you have 30 days to fix it before your mortgage application.

Get pre-approved, not pre-qualified. Pre-qualification is a soft estimate. Pre-approval is a hard credit pull where the lender verifies your income, assets, and credit. A pre-approval letter makes you a stronger buyer and locks in your rate.

What Mortgage Lenders Look at Beyond Credit Score

Your score gets you in the door, but lenders evaluate your full financial picture:

A 750 score with a 55% DTI ratio will be denied. A 680 score with a 28% DTI, stable job, and 20% down will be approved with decent rates. The score opens the door — the full profile determines the terms. Use our DTI calculator to check where you stand.

Score Requirements for Special Situations

Self-employed borrowers: Same score requirements, but you need 2 years of tax returns showing consistent income. Lenders average your last 2 years of Schedule C income. Use our self-employment tax calculator to understand your reported income.

Recent bankruptcy: Chapter 7 bankruptcy requires a 2-year waiting period for FHA loans, 4 years for conventional. Chapter 13 requires 1 year of on-time plan payments for FHA. Your score can recover to the 640-680 range within 2-3 years post-discharge with responsible credit behavior.

Previous foreclosure: 3-year waiting period for FHA, 7 years for conventional. During the waiting period, rebuild credit aggressively using secured cards and credit-builder loans.

The Bottom Line: What Score Should You Aim For?

The minimum score is 580-620. The target score is 740+. The realistic timeline to improve 100 points is 3-6 months with focused effort. On a $350,000 mortgage, every 20-point improvement above 620 saves you roughly $15,000-$30,000 in total interest over 30 years. That makes credit score improvement the single highest-return activity you can do before buying a home.

Start with our credit score improvement calculator, then use the mortgage qualification calculator to see what you can afford at your current score.