What credit score do you need for a cash-out refinance?
Most lenders require you to have a credit score of at least 580 to qualify for a refinance and 620 to take cash out. If your score is low, you may want to focus on improving it before you apply or explore ways to refinance with bad credit.
Determining whether you qualify: Many cash-out refinance lenders require a credit score of at least 620 and at least 20 percent equity in your home. You might find lenders with looser requirements, but you could pay a higher rate as a result.
You'll need a minimum credit score of at least 620 if you want to take a cash-out refinance, in most scenarios. Rocket Mortgage will do a VA cash-out refinance with a median FICO® Score as low as 580 if you keep 10% equity in the home after the refinance.
If you want to do a cash-out refinance, know that you'll need a credit score of at least 580 for an FHA cash-out refinance or 620 for most other cash-out refinances. Otherwise, explore your options and see if refinancing right now is the best financial choice for you.
Credit score minimum: 580
You can refinance an FHA loan with the same minimum credit score you needed to get one: 580. However, if you qualify for an FHA streamline refinance, you'll be able to bypass this requirement entirely.
With a credit score of 500, your choices for home equity loans will be very limited, but not necessarily impossible. Your best chance is to find a hard money lender, a company that will take into consideration other items besides just your credit score.
Credit Scores
According to FHA guidelines, applicants must have a minimum credit score of 580 to qualify for an FHA cash-out refinance. Most FHA insured lenders, however, set their own limits higher to include a minimum score of 600 - 620, since cash-out refinancing is more carefully approved than even a home purchase.
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% |
Once you've chosen a lender, fill out the loan application and submit your supporting documents. The lender will review these materials and order a home appraisal. Close on the loan. On closing day, you'll sign the loan documents and get a check for the “cash out” portion of your loan.
Read our editorial guidelines here . Yes, you can still obtain a home equity loan with bad credit — but you will need more income, more home equity and less total debt than someone with good credit.
What is the downside of a cash-out refinance?
Cash-out refinancing reduces your equity. Decreasing your equity could put you at greater risk of ending up underwater on your loan and being unable to pay it off should home values drop and you need to sell.
You don't need a down payment to refinance, but you'll likely have to come up with cash for closing costs. Some lenders let you roll closing costs into the mortgage to avoid upfront expenses. You can also try negotiating with the lender to waive them.
On the FICO® Score scale, a bad credit score ranges from 300 to 579. The credit requirements for a mortgage refinance loan can vary by lender and type of mortgage. In general, though, you'll need a credit score of 620 or higher for a conventional mortgage refinance.
- Lower Your Credit Utilization Ratio. Credit utilization makes up the second-largest percentage of your credit score. ...
- Space Out New Credit Applications. ...
- Diversify Your Credit Mix. ...
- Keep Old Credit Cards Open. ...
- Make On-Time Payments.
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.
A 580 credit score can be a sign of past credit difficulties or a lack of credit history. Whether you're looking for a personal loan, a mortgage or a credit card, credit scores in this range can make it challenging to get approved for unsecured credit, which doesn't require collateral or a security deposit.
You may be disqualified from opening a HELOC if you do not meet the lender requirements. This may include low equity in your home, inadequate income or a low credit score.
Lender | Loan Amounts | APRs |
---|---|---|
Oportun | $300 - $18,500 | 10.07% - 35.95% |
OneMain Financial | $1,500 - $20,000 | 18% - 35.99% |
RISE | $500 - $5,000 | 60% - 299% |
Jora Credit | $500 - $4,000 | 99% - 349% |
The credit reporting agency Experian says borrowers typically need a credit score of 680 to qualify for a home equity line of credit. At Freedom Mortgage, we can often help you qualify for a cash out refinance with a lower credit score than may be required for a HELOC.
Types of cash out refinance
With a conventional cash out refinance, you can potentially borrow up to 90% of your home's value and use the cash as you see fit. Conventional loans have credit and income requirements, but you don't need to have a federal loan or be a member of the VA to qualify.
How do I qualify for a FHA cash-out refinance?
- A credit score of at least 600 (with most lenders)
- A debt-to-income ratio below 43%
- More than 20% equity in the home.
- On-time mortgage payment history for the past 12 months.
You must have lived in your home – the one with the mortgage you are refinancing – for at least 12 months to qualify for an FHA cash-out refinance. If you've only lived in the home for 10 months, you'll have to wait two more before applying for that FHA cash-out refinance.
As someone with a 650 credit score, you are firmly in the “fair” territory of credit. You can usually qualify for financial products like a mortgage or car loan, but you will likely pay higher interest rates than someone with a better credit score. The "good" credit range starts at 690.
Requirements for a $5,000 loan vary by lender. But in general, you should have at least Fair credit, which is a score of 580 or above. Lenders may also look at other factors, such as your income and your debt-to-income ratio (DTI), during the application process.
You'll typically need a credit score of 620 to finance a home purchase. However, some lenders may offer mortgage loans to borrowers with scores as low as 500. Whether you qualify for a specific loan type also depends on personal factors like your debt-to-income ratio (DTI), loan-to-value ratio (LTV) and income.
References
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