Learn how to buy a house with no credit when your spouse has no credit. We have 10 years of experience in rewriting content for blogs, making sure to engage readers and provide valuable information. Don’t let the lack of credit hinder your dream of homeownership. Discover the strategies and steps you need to take to make it happen.
How to buy a house, You and your spouse have saved for a down payment, searched the MLS and finally settled on your dream home. But if your spouse has no credit, you may be…
You and your spouse have saved for a down payment, searched the MLS and finally settled on your dream home. But if your spouse has no credit, you may be in a world of disappointment when you cant get approved for a mortgage.
Or you may find a lender that is willing to take the gamble on the two of you, but only in exchange for an astronomical mortgage rate. Here are some of your best options if your partners credit is getting in the way of your home-buying goals.
Wait it out for better credit
If you arent in a hurry, you may want to put home buying plans on hold and give your spouse some time to build credit. He or she should look into secured credit cards if he or she is unable to qualify for a conventional card. During this time, make sure your spouse pays every bill on time and carries a low balance on the first-time credit card. Its also smart to have your partner check his or her credit report to ensure there are no errors that could be contributing to credit problems.
These responsible behaviors should greatly improve your spouses credit over the course of a year. Once your spouse has established a solid credit report, you can apply for a mortgage together with much better chances of getting approved.
Apply for the mortgage in your name
Even if your credit is stellar, lenders pay a lot of attention to a low credit score on an application. Experts say that credit scores below 600 make it hard to be approved by mortgage lenders, so if your spouses credit score is lower than that, you may be better off applying for the loan on your own.
» MORE: Find out how much house you can afford
He or she can still be listed as one of the homeowners on the title to the house, and you can refinance the loan in both of your names in the future. The main risk with this strategy is you will be able to show only one income on the application, so if your income is not very high, you may qualify for only a smaller or less expensive home than you want.
Try a larger down payment
You can still try to qualify for a mortgage together. While typical down payments range from 3.5% to 20% of the homes purchase price, you may be able to persuade a lender to approve you and your spouse for a mortgage if you put a much larger percent down — perhaps as much as 50%. This gives the lender confidence that it wont be completely down and out if you run into trouble paying your mortgage.
» MORE: Best lenders for low credit score borrowers
Be aware of community property states
If you live in one of the nine community property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin) the lender has the right to look at your spouses credit history and debts even if you dont put him or her on the loan application.
If your spouse has debt in collections or a past bankruptcy, this could cause you to be denied even if your name is the only one on the application. Not all lenders look at this, but if you apply for a Federal Housing Administration loan, you can expect your spouses debt to be considered regardless of whose name goes on the paperwork.
More from NerdWallet:
-
How Much House Can I Really Afford?
-
Compare Mortgage Refinance Rates
-
Find a Mortgage Broker
Image via iStock.
Thanks to Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/mortgages/buying-house-spouse-no-credit
buy a house with no credit
