What Is the Minimum Credit Score Needed to Qualify for a Mortgage, HELOC, or Cash-Out Loan?

It depends on your situation

• FHA loan: The government's absolute floor is a 500 credit score, but that requires at least 10% down. A score of 580 or higher is what unlocks the popular 3.5% down payment option. Many individual lenders set their own, higher starting point, commonly 580 or 600 or above, even though the program itself allows lower.
• VA loan: The VA does not set a minimum credit score at all. It is entirely up to each lender. As of 2026, most lenders' published minimum is around 620, though overlays vary, with some lenders going as low as roughly 550 and others requiring 640 or more.
• Standard conventional cash-out refinance or home equity loan: The commonly used benchmark is a 620 credit score. This lines up with Fannie Mae's published eligibility guidance for this kind of financing. Note that Fannie Mae changed how it evaluates loans through its automated system in late 2025, moving toward a broader risk-based review rather than a single hard cutoff, but 620 still functions as the practical line for many lenders and for mortgage insurance requirements on lower-equity loans.
• Standalone HELOC (second lien): These often carry a higher bar than a first-lien refinance, commonly 620 to 660 or more. Some lenders prefer 680 or higher before extending a HELOC.
• Strong compensating factors: Some lenders will make exceptions below their usual minimum when other factors, such as significant home equity, a large down payment, or strong income and low debt, help offset a lower score. This is uncommon, evaluated case by case, and not a standard minimum.
• Score of 680 or higher: This is generally treated as the tier where borrowers qualify for the best available pricing, though exact rate breaks depend on the lender and loan program.

Why does FHA have two different numbers?

FHA's rules set a true floor of 500, but that only applies if you can put down at least 10%. The reason 580 gets quoted so often is that it is the score needed to use FHA's signature low down payment option of 3.5%. Below 580, you can still technically qualify, but you need a bigger down payment. Many lenders also add their own overlay on top of FHA's rules and simply will not go below 580 or 600, even though the program itself allows for lower scores.

Why doesn't VA have a published minimum?

The VA loan program itself has no credit score requirement written into the rules. It focuses on other factors, like the loan's overall risk and the veteran's ability to repay. In practice, though, lenders still need to protect themselves, so nearly every lender sets its own minimum. Around 620 is the most common floor today, but this can shift, and it is worth checking with more than one lender since overlays differ.

What about cash-out refinances and HELOCs specifically?

For a standard conventional cash-out refinance or home equity loan, 620 is the number to plan around. Standalone HELOCs, which are second loans behind an existing mortgage, tend to ask for more, often somewhere between 620 and 660, because the lender is taking a second-lien position. In either case, a higher score generally means more loan options and better pricing, with scores above 680 typically landing in the tier that gets the best rates.

Related questions

• the most common mortgage and home equity questions
• will a Credit Check Hurt My Credit Score? Soft Pull vs Hard Pull
• my Credit Report Is Frozen or Locked, So Why Can't the Lender Pull It, and How Do I Unlock It
• which Credit Score Does a Mortgage Lender Actually Use
• what determines your mortgage rate quote
• HELOC vs home equity loan vs cash-out refinance

Sources

• https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibility/
• https://www.veteransunited.com/realestate/va-loans-and-credit-score-minimums-what-all-buyers-need-to-know
• https://valoannetwork.com/va-loans/minimum-credit-score-needed-for-va-loans
• https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/10-29ml.pdf
• https://answers.hud.gov/FHA/s/article/Does-FHA-require-a-minimum-credit-score-and-how-is-it-determined
• https://www.directcorp.com/reports/programguidelines/6274.pdf
• https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/media/20786/display
• https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/fannie-mae-ending-its-hard-620-score-cutoff
• https://www.amerisave.com/learn/essential-credit-score-requirements-for-cashout-refinancing-in-what-you-need-to-qualify