"I'm sorry, Marcus," Elena had said gently. "For a standard conventional loan, we need to see at least a 620. Even for an FHA loan with a low down payment, we need to get you above 580 [1]."
No official minimum, but most lenders require a 580 to 620 [1].
Every month, he would log in to check his score. 585. 610. 618. It felt like watching grass grow, but he kept his eyes on the goal. what credit score is needed to buy a house
He walked back into Elena's office, standing a little taller. When she ran the official pull, she smiled and turned the monitor around. "You did it," she said.
The old key felt heavy in Marcus’s pocket, a piece of brass that carried the weight of three years of relentless sacrifice. "I'm sorry, Marcus," Elena had said gently
Elena didn’t just send him away. She handed him a highlighter and a printout of his credit report. "This isn't a no," she promised. "It's just a 'not yet.' Let's make a plan."
Finally, a week ago, he ran the credit check one more time. The number on the screen was . Every month, he would log in to check his score
The next thirty-six months were a masterclass in discipline. Marcus stopped using his credit cards for anything he couldn't pay off by Friday. He set up automatic payments so he would never miss a due date again. He took on weekend shifts at the warehouse to pay down an old, forgotten medical bill that was dragging his score into the mud.