The thought of buying a house can be overwhelming. Starting the home buying process by buying a home with bad credit can make it seem nearly impossible to get a loan, but did you know there's such a thing as a bad credit home loan? Your credit might not be as much of a roadblock as you think.
In this post, we'll talk about buying a house with bad credit in Arizona, understanding your credit score, how to qualify for a mortgage, and increasing your score quickly.
What Do Mortgage Lenders Consider A Bad Credit Score?
Most borrowers don't know this, but many lenders don't require a specific minimum credit score to buy a house. The catch-22 is that a conventional mortgage lender is free to set their requirements regarding your credit score. Although government-backed loans give mortgage lenders some peace of mind, they still have credit score requirements, even if they are usually much lower.
If you have a credit score lower than 500, you might find getting a mortgage a bit hard and will probably need to focus on increasing your score first.
When it comes to the actual number, anything less than a 670 FICO® Score is considered "bad" or "subprime," according to Experian™, one of the three main credit bureaus. More specifically, a fair score is 580 to 669, while a poor score is 300 to 579. The thing about having poor credit is that it's not the same as someone else's bad credit.
No two situations are the same, and outside of your actual score, lenders will also be looking at things like:
How much the borrower has available for a down payment
The borrower's overall amount of debt
How much income does the borrower earn
If the borrower has any debts in collections
Cash is your best friend when you have bad credit, and the more of it you have to use toward a down payment, the better. Your credit score might only qualify you for a specific mortgage loan amount. If you can cover the difference with cash, you can still afford the home you want.
The lender you end up with will also play a factor because all lenders will have different requirements. While you can get a bad credit loan, you must be prepared to pay a higher monthly mortgage due to higher interest rates.
Don't forget, if you purchase a home with bad credit, you can permanently repair your credit and refinance your mortgage for much better loan terms later on.
NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a Good Faith Estimate nor a Guarantee to lend and should not be considered as such. Costs, rates, estimates, and terms can only be determined after completing an application. Actual payments will vary based on your situation and current rates. APR for loans ranges from 7.99 - 29.5% and is based on Credit Score, Down Payment, LTV, and Income. Mortgage rates could change daily. For more accurate and personalized results, please call 623 582 4444 to talk to a licensed mortgage expert. Terms and conditions of all loan programs are subject to change without notice. NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493 This email is for the exclusive use of the intended recipients and may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the email from your computer, and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. Your receipt of this message is not intended to waive any applicable privilege. Neither this email nor any attachments establish a client relationship, constitute an electronic signature, or provide consent to contract electronically unless expressed by Matt Prosory RI/CEO, in this email or an attachment. To the extent this message includes any tax or legal advice. This message is not intended or written by the sender to be used, and cannot be used, for legal or tax purposes or advice. This email is an advertisement.
The best home loan option with bad credit depends on how low your score is. If your score is below 600, you probably should look into an FHA loan or VA loan.
Of course, the best option is to work on repairing your credit score before you submit a mortgage application. While this is not the answer borrowers want to read or hear, it's the most practical and can save you thousands in interest payments. Not only will you have more mortgage options, but you might be able to get your loan with a lower income requirement and down payment.
Of course, as stated above, if you have a score of 500 or below, you probably won't be able to do anything except wait until you increase it. Also, if you're looking to buy a house with a bankruptcy on your credit, you will need to wait at least 2 years before a lender will start considering you for a new mortgage with bad credit.
You can take the necessary steps to grow your score by understanding the following:
Payment history: Your payment history is responsible for 35% of your score. This is the main reason people are continually saying "pay your bills on time" regarding your credit score.
Credit utilization: The amount of credit you are currently using is also known as your credit utilization and is responsible for 30% of your score. The more credit you're using, the higher your credit utilization, and the lower your score can become. It would help if you looked to keep your total credit usage under 30%.
Age of credit history: This is most often referred to as your "average age of accounts" and is one of the few factors you have almost no control over. Your credit history is basically the age of your oldest credit account, new credit accounts, and the average ages of all the accounts on your credit report. The length of your credit history makes up 15% of your score.
Credit mix/types of credit: When you look at your report, you'll notice that there are a few different types of credit on your report. Those can be revolving credit (like credit cards) or installment loans (like car loans or personal loans). Having a mix of credit is a good thing for your score, and it is responsible for 10% of it.
Amount of new credit: Having an account less than 6 months old is usually considered having new credit. Your score will be impacted whenever you add a new account because it will give you a hard inquiry and decrease your average age of accounts. Be mindful when applying for new credit as it contributes to 10% of your overall score.
Increase Your Available Credit
Once you get a better handle on things and have started improving your score, increasing your available credit can help raise it a little faster. You can do this by either paying down balances or making a credit limit increase request. This effort helps increase your credit score because you will decrease your credit utilization, which is a huge factor in determining your score. Remember, it's best to have a higher credit score to buy a house and apply for mortgages.
And guess what: Most credit card companies allow you to request as many increases as you like without it causing a hard pull on your credit.
Add New Accounts (In Bulk)
Adding new accounts also means you'll be increasing available credit and increasing your overall credit mix. Doing this in bulk is even better because it puts everything in the same time frame. Your inquiries will all fall off on the same day, any new accounts will age together, and you'll add more available credit to your report.
This change also allows you to establish an even stronger payment history on your credit report. It usually takes less than 30 – 45 days to see the effects of adding bulk, new accounts to your report.
Pay For Deletions
One of the worst items you can have on your credit report is a collection. Collections show lenders that you owe money to someone and have not attempted to pay it back.
Even if you pay the collection off, it can remain on your report as "Paid," which is better than having an outstanding collection. However, the best result which will help even more is to request the items be deleted from your credit report if you make a late payment.
Before making a payment for deletions, make sure you get the transaction in writing. It will be like you never received that collection, thus increasing your credit score and giving lenders one less reason to decline you.
Stay Away From Hard Credit Inquiries
While getting an insurance quote won't affect your credit score, applying for any type of new credit will. Having too many hard inquiries on your credit is not a good thing.
When applying for any type of financial transaction that requires a credit pull, always check if it's a hard or soft pull. Avoid doing anything requiring a hard pull close to when you apply for a mortgage.
Find A Co-signer
Depending on your mortgage, you may be able to qualify for a home loan with a co-signer. This addition can help bump you over the credit threshold as the co-signers income and assets will be considered along with yours. You may also qualify for a larger loan amount with a co-signer, even with bad credit, which can give you a bigger budget when shopping for a home.
In most cases, a co-signer will only help lower your debt-to-income ratio, which by itself helps with qualification. Another person's income and assets will make it easier for you to afford for a higher monthly mortgage payment. Most of the time, the lowest median credit score of all borrowers on the loan is the one that counts. However, if multiple borrowers are getting a loan backed by Fannie Mae, the guidelines allow for lenders to average the median scores of the borrowers. This can mean the difference between qualifying or not getting the loan.
For example, if you have a median credit score of 580 and your co-signer has a score of 720, you couldn't qualify with both incomes until recently. Now Fannie Mae policy, in many instances, is to average the scores, coming out at 650. You can get a loan.
It's important to note that for the purposes of determining your interest rate and mortgage insurance cost, the lowest median score is still used, so your rate may be slightly higher. Additionally, the averaging of credit scores doesn't apply to every loan option. We encourage you to speak with your Home Loan Expert.
Applying for a home loan Having bad credit doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of homeownership. Instead, it might just require additional research when looking for financing.
With a loan backed by the government like an FHA loan, you can qualify for a mortgage even with a 500 credit score. It might be tempting to buy a home as soon as possible, but it's better to take the time to assess available options and interest rates while you start shopping for a loan.
NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a Good Faith Estimate nor a Guarantee to lend and should not be considered as such. Costs, rates, estimates, and terms can only be determined after completing an application. Actual payments will vary based on your situation and current rates. APR for loans ranges from 7.99 - 29.5% and is based on Credit Score, Down Payment, LTV, and Income. Mortgage rates could change daily. For more accurate and personalized results, please call 623 582 4444 to talk to a licensed mortgage expert. Terms and conditions of all loan programs are subject to change without notice. NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493 This email is for the exclusive use of the intended recipients and may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the email from your computer, and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. Your receipt of this message is not intended to waive any applicable privilege. Neither this email nor any attachments establish a client relationship, constitute an electronic signature, or provide consent to contract electronically unless expressed by Matt Prosory RI/CEO, in this email or an attachment. To the extent this message includes any tax or legal advice. This message is not intended or written by the sender to be used, and cannot be used, for legal or tax purposes or advice. This email is an advertisement.
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
NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a Good Faith Estimate nor a Guarantee to lend and should not be considered as such. Costs, rates, estimates, and terms can only be determined after completing an application. Actual payments will vary based on your situation and current rates. APR for loans ranges from 7.99 - 29.5% and is based on Credit Score, Down Payment, LTV, and Income. Mortgage rates could change daily. For more accurate and personalized results, please call 623 582 4444 to talk to a licensed mortgage expert. Terms and conditions of all loan programs are subject to change without notice. NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493 This email is for the exclusive use of the intended recipients and may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the email from your computer, and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. Your receipt of this message is not intended to waive any applicable privilege. Neither this email nor any attachments establish a client relationship, constitute an electronic signature, or provide consent to contract electronically unless expressed by Matt Prosory RI/CEO, in this email or an attachment. To the extent this message includes any tax or legal advice. This message is not intended or written by the sender to be used, and cannot be used, for legal or tax purposes or advice. This email is an advertisement.
Nowhere does it say an investor needs to fund a deal with their money. As it turns out, there are several options for funding a deal made available to today's investors, none of which will require you to use capital from your pocket. It's pretty easy to argue that using other people's money is the gold standard, at least when investing in real estate. If for nothing else, private lenders, hard money lenders, and any house-flipping investors interested in making money flipping homes are all more than viable options to seek out for your next deal. Here are a few options to help you learn how to flip a house with no money:
Private Lenders
More often than not, private lenders will serve as an investor's most significant funding source. After all, private money lenders are essentially banks without the endless hoops to jump through what most traditional lenders have become synonymous with. That said, Arizona private lenders are anyone with a few extra dollars in their pocket, a desire to invest, and a propensity to have their "ears bent." Perhaps even more importantly, they are not associated with a financial institution or a government-backed agency, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. That's an important distinction; they can make their own rules.
With the ability to set their parameters, Arizona private money lenders will typically come at a steep price; it's not uncommon for their fee to rest somewhere in the neighborhood of six and 12 percent, but I digress. While the average private money lender rate is slightly higher than a traditional lender's, they can have the money in an investor's hand in a few days or even hours. Therein lies the most significant benefit of working with private money lenders: speed of implementation. The slightly higher interest rate is well worth the cost of admission if it means an investor can secure funding in as little time as possible. Not surprisingly, most investors will find that the speed at which they can make an offer is more important than the interest rate it comes with. On the other hand, traditional banks may take as long as 30 to 45 days to close on a loan or just long enough to let a deal slip through your fingers.
Most private money lenders will require a bit of an insurance policy or, more specifically, a promissory note and a mortgage or trust deed on the subject property. Some private lenders will even want borrowers to take it further and guarantee the loan with their assets, but everything is negotiable.
Hard Money Lenders
In their simplest form, hard money lenders are lending companies that offer specialized short-term real estate-backed loans. Unlike their private money counterparts, they are affiliated with a company specializing in lending. However, Arizona hard money lenders typically offer shorter loan terms to avoid confusion with traditional lending institutions. Transactional lenders will offer loans up to 15 and 30 years, but Phoenix hard money lenders tend to stick with a six-month to two-year window.
Besides their affiliation with an actual company, hard money lenders will operate much like private money lenders. Not only are their lending guidelines much looser than traditional institutions, but their rates are also slightly higher. Hard money lenders in Arizona usually ask for about 11 to 15 percent and about five points (additional upfront percentage fees based on the loan amount). However, it is worth noting that there are no universal Arizona hard money lender guidelines; each will be complete with a different set of criteria.
New England Home Buyers experts, say, "You can fund all home repairs using hard money lenders. Unlike traditional bank loans, hard money borrowing is not contingent on your creditworthiness. However, fees and interest rates for hard money loans are frequently higher. Note that interest rates might range from 8% to 15%, and points can range from one to five".
It is also important to note that most Arizona hard money lenders will usually only loan a percentage of the purchase price — typically around 70 percent, to be exact. That will require most investors to look elsewhere if they don't want to spend any money out of their pockets, perhaps a private lender.
Home flippers have a straightforward business model: they buy a house for a low price, renovate it, and then resell it for a more fantastic price. The purpose of a flipper is to buy low and sell high to maximize their earnings. When flippers are looking at real estate listings, the 70 percent rule can come in handy. It states that investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value minus the repairs required to refurbish it.
A property's after-repair value, or ARV, is the amount a home could sell for after being renovated by a fix and flipper. When purchasing a home to flip, investors must estimate how much the property will sell after renovating it. They can then multiply that figure by 70% and deduct it from the estimated renovation cost. The result is the most that flippers should be willing to pay for that home or property. The formula for the 70% rule is:
After-repair value (ARV) ✕ .70 − Estimated repair costs = Maximum buying price
The critical thing to remember is that the 70% rule is merely a guideline. Before purchasing a house, you should research market conditions, consult with real estate professionals to acquire a more realistic resale estimate, and meet with contractors to determine how much repairs will cost and which upgrades are required.
Hard money lenders are nationwide; you need to know how to find them. The easiest way to find them is by searching online for Arizona or Phoenix hard money lenders in your area. You will find results for companies with hard money loans that you can contact here. Attending real estate investor meetings is a great way to network with Arizona hard money lenders looking to work with potential borrowers. You can also reach out to other real estate professionals in your network who have experience working with these lenders or know of a contact you can contact.
NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a Good Faith Estimate nor a Guarantee to lend and should not be considered as such. Costs, rates, estimates, and terms can only be determined after completing an application. Actual payments will vary based on your situation and current rates. APR for loans ranges from 7.99 - 29.5% and is based on Credit Score, Down Payment, LTV, and Income. Mortgage rates could change daily. For more accurate and personalized results, please call 623 582 4444 to talk to a licensed mortgage expert. Terms and conditions of all loan programs are subject to change without notice. NCO Enterprises LLC Dba Setabay Private Hard Money 26731 N 90th Drive Peoria AZ 85383 Telephone: 623-582-4444 NMLS 2062278 NMLS 1118493 This email is for the exclusive use of the intended recipients and may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the email from your computer, and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. Your receipt of this message is not intended to waive any applicable privilege. Neither this email nor any attachments establish a client relationship, constitute an electronic signature, or provide consent to contract electronically unless expressed by Matt Prosory RI/CEO, in this email or an attachment. To the extent this message includes any tax or legal advice. This message is not intended or written by the sender to be used, and cannot be used, for legal or tax purposes or advice. This email is an advertisement.