What credit score is needed 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.
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.
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.
- More than 20% equity in your home.
- A new appraisal to verify your home's value.
- A credit score of at least 620.
- Debt-to-income ratio (including the new loan) of 43% or less.
- Loan-to-value ratio of 80% or less.
- Verification of your income and employment.
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.
Can you get a home equity loan with bad credit? A lower credit score doesn't necessarily mean a lender will deny you a home equity loan. Many home equity lenders allow for FICO scores as low as 620, considered “fair,” as long as you meet other requirements around debt, equity and income.
FHA refinances: You'll need 20 percent down to pursue a cash-out refinance, but you can explore rate-and-term and streamlined refis with just 2.25 percent equity.
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.
In many cases, there's no waiting period to refinance. Your current lender might ask you to wait six months between loans, but you're free to simply refinance with a different lender instead. However, you must wait six months after your most recent closing (usually 180 days) to refinance if you're taking cash out.
How big of a loan can you get with a 600 credit score?
With FICO, fair or good credit scores fall within the ranges of 580 to 739, and with VantageScore, fair or good ranges between 601 to 780. Many personal loan lenders offer amounts starting around $3,000 to $5,000, but with Upgrade, you can apply for as little as $1,000 (and as much as $50,000).
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.
The LTV limit (known as the loan-to-value ratio limit) for a single-family property is 80%. That means you need to keep a minimum of 20% equity in your home when you do a cash-out refinance.
Lender | Credit requirements | Bankrate Score |
---|---|---|
U.S. Bank | 620 for conventional loans, 740 for jumbo loans | 4.8 |
PenFed Credit Union | 650 for conventional loans, 700 for jumbo loans, 620 for FHA loans | 4.7 |
Rocket Mortgage | 620 for conventional loans, 680 for jumbo loans, 580 for FHA and VA loans | 4.6 |
Conventional refinance: For conventional refinances (including cash-out refinances), you'll usually need at least 20 percent equity in your home (or an LTV ratio of no more than 80 percent).
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.
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.
You can borrow up to 80% of your home's value with an FHA cash-out refinance. Here's an example, assuming your current home is worth $350,000 and you owe $250,000 on your existing mortgage: $350,000 x 80% = $280,000 maximum FHA cash-out loan amount.
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% |
What FICO score is used for HELOC?
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.
- W-2 forms from the previous two years.
- 1099s if you have a side income.
- Pay stubs from the previous 30 days.
- Bank statements from the previous two months.
- Signed federal tax returns (personal) from the previous two years or a signed IRS Form 4506-T.
Cash-out refinance closing costs: How much you'll pay
Refinance closing costs typically range from 2% to 6% of your loan amount, depending on your loan size. You'll pay the same types of fees for a cash-out refinance as a purchase mortgage, which include origination, title, appraisal and credit report costs.
It can take 12 to 18+ months to build your credit from 500 to 700. The exact timing depends on which types of negative marks are dragging down your score and the steps you take to improve your credit going forward.
- Make your payments on time. ...
- Set up autopay or calendar reminders. ...
- Don't open too many accounts at once. ...
- Get credit for paying monthly utility and cell phone bills on time. ...
- Request a credit report and dispute any credit report errors. ...
- Pay attention to your credit utilization rate.
References
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