Why Online Numbers Are Misleading
You may see:
“620 conventional.”
“580 FHA.”
Those numbers can describe certain program baselines or common lender practices, but actual approval can vary because lenders use:
- Automated underwriting
- Their own overlays
- Full credit history
- DTI
- Reserves
- Income
- Property
Credit-score minimums and thresholds also change over time and vary by lender. Treat any number you see online as a historical description, not a current rule, and verify today's standard with an actual lender.
FHA
FHA can offer greater flexibility for certain lower-credit borrowers, but lender requirements can be stricter than FHA's theoretical program minimums.
Conventional
Conventional approval and pricing can be highly sensitive to credit.
VA
VA does not simply approve based on one score. The lender evaluates overall creditworthiness and ability to repay.
USDA
USDA also uses complete underwriting and approved-lender standards.
Why Your Score Source Matters
Consumer credit apps may show a different scoring model than a mortgage lender uses.
Do not assume the score in your banking app is the exact mortgage score.
What Should You Do if Your Credit Is Low?
Get a lender review before trying random credit-repair tricks.
Ask:
- What specifically is holding me back?
- Is it score?
- DTI?
- Recent late payment?
- Utilization?
- Collection?
- Insufficient history?
Solve the actual problem.
How Lisa Helps
Lisa is a Nevada REALTOR®, not a lender, underwriter or credit expert. She does not set credit-score minimums, and the lender determines whether your credit qualifies and at what pricing.
Lisa's role is the real estate side: helping you understand what a buyer with your approved financing can genuinely do in the Las Vegas market, comparing properties and ownership costs, and keeping the home search realistic while you and your lender address the credit components they identify.
