What is the minimum credit score for a home equity loan?
Credit score: At least 620
It's possible to get a home equity loan with a fair credit score, defined as a FICO score between 580 and 669. You won't get the lowest interest rate, however, if your score isn't as high.
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 minimum credit score required for a HELOC varies by lender but is typically around 620. However, some lenders may accept lower scores with certain conditions, like a lower loan-to-value ratio or higher interest rates.
To qualify for a HELOC, you'll need to provide financial documents, like W-2s and bank statements — these allow the lender to verify your income, assets, employment and credit scores. You should expect to meet the following HELOC loan requirements: Minimum 620 credit score.
Effective October 31st, 2023 (or December 31st, 2023, depending on the bank's fiscal year), new Canadian guidelines will limit the amount clients can use/reuse (without seeking a new credit approval) to 65% of the value of their property. This is based on the appraised value of their home on file.
Past Bankruptcy or Foreclosure
Having a bankruptcy or foreclosure on your short- to mid-term credit history will likely make it difficult to qualify for all types of loans, including HELOCs. These marks against your creditworthiness are not permanent, but they also don't vanish overnight.
Home equity loans are relatively easy to get as long as you meet some basic lending requirements. Those requirements usually include: 80% or lower loan-to-value (LTV) ratio: Your LTV compares your loan amount to the value of your home. For example, if you have a $160,000 loan on a $200,000 home, your LTV is 80%.
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).
Home equity loan requirements can vary — but having strong credit and a low debt-to-income ratio can increase your likelihood of approval. Like other types of loans, lenders measure your credit, income and current debt load to determine if you qualify for a home equity loan.
How much can you borrow with a credit score of 630?
You can borrow anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000+ with a 630 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.
Most lenders look for a credit score in at least the good range to approve a home equity loan, with a target of 700. 4 However, the higher your credit score, the lower the interest rate you may be eligible for. So being diligent with your financial life can pay dividends when you're interested in borrowing.
2. Credit score: At least 620. In many cases, lenders will set a minimum 620 credit score to qualify you for a home equity loan — though the limit can be as high as 660 or 680 in some cases.
Getting a home equity loan with bad credit generally requires you to have low monthly debts, a credit score of 620 or higher, and a home value of 20% more than you owe.
A home equity loan allows you to borrow a lump sum of money against your home's existing equity. A HELOC also leverages a home's equity but allows homeowners to apply for an open line of credit. You then can borrow up to a fixed amount on an as-needed basis.
Loan payment example: on a $50,000 loan for 120 months at 8.40% interest rate, monthly payments would be $617.26. Payment example does not include amounts for taxes and insurance premiums.
Balancing Equity and Debt-to-Income Ratio
Although a 650 credit score may not be the most ideal, it doesn't necessarily exclude you from obtaining a HELOC. Lenders typically prefer a DTI ratio under 43% and at least 20% home equity to consider you for approval.
Applying for a HELOC is similar to applying for any other kind of loan, and will require the borrower to provide the lender with W2s/1099s pay stubs, tax returns, and other documentation. Getting approved for a HELOC also requires a minimum credit score of 620, but again, this requirement will vary by lender.
- Equity in their home greater than 20% of their home's value.
- Verifiable income history for two or more years.
- A credit score greater than 600.
Qualifying for a HELOC
You can typically borrow up to 85% of the value of your home minus the amount you owe. Also, a lender generally looks at your credit score and history, employment history, monthly income and monthly debts, just as when you first got your mortgage.
What percent is a home equity line of credit?
A typical HELOC lender will allow you to access 80% of the amount of equity you have in your home but some lenders might go up to 90%, though usually at a higher interest rate.
While you might expect to be turned down for a home equity loan if you have a poor credit score or unverifiable income, the fact is, even with good credit, a bank can still turn you down.
The denial rates for HELOCs are 46%, compared to 12% for a conventional mortgage. Lenders generally require a credit score of at least 680, although many prefer a score above 720. While some lenders may accept a score lower than 680, the borrower's financial profile must be exceptional in other areas.
Requirements to get a home equity loan
The amount of equity you have in your home. Your credit score and history. Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Your income history.
Example 1: 10-year fixed-rate home equity loan at 8.75%
If you took out a 10-year, $100,000 home equity loan at a rate of 8.75%, you could expect to pay just over $1,253 per month for the next decade.
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