It is entirely possible to buy a house with bad credit In Arizona. If for nothing else, credit reports are essentially a measure to suggest how likely a borrower is to pay their debts back—not a binary indicator of whether someone qualifies for a mortgage. That said, better rates and opportunities are awarded to those with higher scores.

Learning how to buy a house with bad credit starts with undersigning what your current credit score is worth in the eyes of lenders. Here’s a general scale of what borrowers can expect to receive concerning their current FICO Score:

Less than 580: Theoretically, borrowers may qualify for a loan with a FICO score lower than 580 (down to 500). However, any borrowers with a FICO score between 500 and 579 will be limited to FHA loans. Since borrowers with a score lower than 580 represent the most significant risk to lenders, the Federal Housing Administration will require their loans to be insured. In addition, to qualify for an FHA loan, borrowers must put down at least 10% and pay off any unpaid collections and judgments.

580 – 669: Borrowers with a FICO Score between 580 and 669 may also qualify for an FHA loan but won’t necessarily have to put as much money upfront. Mo borrowers in this range may qualify for an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down. Perhaps even more importantly—for some—this is the range that qualifies borrowers for loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA loans). This is also the range borrowers may be able to apply for a conventional loan (if they meet other requirements).

670 – 739: Borrowers with a FICO Score between 670 and 739 may apply for conventional loans. Since they represent less risk than the previous categories, borrowers with a credit score in this area will have more options.

740 – 799: Borrowers who fall under this category are considered to have a very good credit score, which means lenders are more willing to extend them more credit at a better rate.

Eight hundred or more: Anyone with a credit score of 800 or more represents the least amount of risk to lenders. Since borrowers in the category are the most likely to pay back their debts without defaulting, lenders and banks are more willing to extend larger amounts of credit at their most competitive rates.

Home loans for bad credit holders do exist. However, the better the credit score, the more opportunities borrowers will gain access to.