Kentucky FHA Mortgage Credit Score Requirements
FHA is introducing new guidelines on loan to value ratios and the minimum credit score required for FHA borrowers in Kentucky. As detailed in a Mortgagee Letter from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the following credit requirements will apply for FHA borrowers, effective October 4, 2010.To be eligible for maximum financing, borrowers will need a minimum credit score of 500 or higher.Kentucky FHA Borrowers with a credit score between 500 and 579 will be limited to a loan to value of 90%. A sub 580 FICO credit score borrower will henceforth need to make a 10% minimum down payment on a purchase transaction.All Kentucky FHA borrowers with a credit score below 500 will not be eligible for FHA-insured mortgage financing in Kentucky.The new credit requirements are not expected to dramatically change the number of Kentucky FHA mortgage approvals.Get used to the term credit overlays. You may call several FHA lenders and a lot of them will tell you that even though FHA will insure lower credit scores, most lenders had already imposed a minimum credit score requirement of 580 to 620 or higher for Kentucky FHA borrowers.In limited cases, borrowers with scores between 580 and 639 could still obtain mortgage approval with compensating factors such as large down payment (more than 3.5% minimum), low debt to income ratios, and substantial reserves in the bank with a verifiable pay history of no late payments in the last 12 months of rent and on credit report. A late is considered 30 days late in the credit rating world.Ultimately, there is no singular credit score that can guarantee you a mortgage approval. Each lender is free to set their own credit score requirements.But many loan types are insured by government organizations. And lenders cannot accept borrowers with credit scores below the minimum these organizations set. The four most popular home loan types are:Conventional: Not backed by any government agency, but must meet the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac underwriting guidelinesFHA: Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration
VA: Loans backed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (for military members)USDA: Loans backed by the US Department of Agriculture (for low- to moderate-income families who buy homes in rural areas)
