If You Have Bad Credit Can You Buy A House May 2026

You may still qualify with a 10% down payment.

Do not open new credit cards or take out an auto loan while you are preparing to buy. if you have bad credit can you buy a house

For rural and suburban homebuyers. These typically require a 640 score , but manual underwriting can sometimes allow for lower scores. You may still qualify with a 10% down payment

If you can't wait to improve your score, use these "compensating factors" to convince a lender you are a safe bet: if you have bad credit can you buy a house

Showing you have 3–6 months of mortgage payments in savings after the house closes builds trust.

Unlike a single bank, a broker works with many lenders and knows which ones are "low-credit friendly."