If you're at this threshold, you can strengthen your application by: FHA vs Conventional Loan | 2026 Rates & Differences
: Most lenders set 620 as the minimum requirement for a conventional mortgage. With this score and a down payment as low as 3%, you can often qualify, though you might pay a slightly higher interest rate than someone with a 740 score.
: If the buyer is a veteran or looking in a rural area, VA loans or USDA loans often have no strict minimum credit score set by the government, though many private lenders still look for that 620 benchmark to approve the application.
