How To Buy A House With No Money Down (2024)

Government-backed USDA and VA loans can allow you to buy a home with $0 down. The fact that these loans are backed by the federal government allows lenders to be more lenient with down payment requirements. Both you and your home must meet USDA loan standards to qualify for a mortgage, and you must meet service requirements with a VA loan.

You may also be able to get a conventional loan with a low down payment. Freddie Mac’s Home Possible® or Fannie Mae’s HomeReady® program offers lower monthly payments toward your mortgage insurance and loans with 3% down. You can also get a government-backed FHA loan with 3.5% down, which can be a great option if you have bad credit.

Ready to take the next step toward buying a house? Apply for a mortgage today.

1 Client will be required to pay a 1% down payment, with the ability to pay a maximum of 3%, and Rocket Mortgage will cover an additional 2% of the client’s purchase price as a down payment, or $2,000. Maximum grant amount is $7,000. Offer valid on primary residence, conventional loan products only. Maximum loan amount of $350,000. Cost of mortgage insurance premium passed through to client effective January 2, 2024. Offer valid only for home buyers when qualifying income is less than or equal to 80% area median income based on county where property is located.Not available with any other discounts or promotions and cannot be retroactively applied to previously closed loans or loans that have a locked rate. This is not a commitment to lend. Rocket Mortgage reserves the right to cancel/modify this offer at any time. Additional restrictions/conditions may apply.

2Client will receive a $3,000 credit toward down payment. Offer valid only for first-time home buyers when qualifying income is less than or equal to 140% AMI and when the property is located in an eligible county within the following metropolitan statistical areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, El Paso, TX, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, St. Louis, MO-IL. Client is required to complete one-on-one Homebuyer Education Course with GreenPath facilitated by Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF). Offer valid on new loans locked on or after 2/28/2023. Offer valid on primary residence retail purchase loans only. Offer is not valid for team member or Schwab channel products. Offer is nontransferable and cannot be combined with any other discounts. Offer cannot be applied retroactively. Offer may not be redeemed for cash. Rocket Mortgage reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time. Acceptance of this offer constitutes the acceptance of these terms and conditions, which are subject to change at the sole discretion of Rocket Mortgage. Additional restrictions/conditions may apply. This is not a commitment to lend.

3Client will receive a closing cost grant up to the amount of $7,500 on their Closing Disclosure.Offer is valid for only for first-time home purchasers with primary residence properties in specific census trackslocated in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland; Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin; Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan; Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas; McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida; New York-New York-Jersey City, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California; San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida; and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. Offer valid from November 17, 2023. Offer is nontransferable. Offer cannot be applied retroactively to closed loans. Offer may not be redeemed for cash, and no change will be given if the discount amount exceeds costs otherwise due. Rocket Mortgage reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time.Other discounts may be ineligible with this offer.

How To Buy A House With No Money Down (2024)

FAQs

How To Buy A House With No Money Down? ›

The USDA loan and the VA loan are two popular options that allow eligible buyers to buy a house with no money down. Both are available to first-time home buyers and repeat buyers alike, but they have special requirements to qualify.

What credit score is needed to buy a house with no money down? ›

A USDA loan is insured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is meant for low- to moderate-income home buyers. The USDA doesn't require a down payment and doesn't set a minimum credit score requirement, though most lenders will want borrowers to have at least a 640.

How do you come up with money down on a house? ›

Here are some options.
  1. Receive gift money. A gift from a family member or someone else with whom you have a close relationship may be part of your down payment, in some cases. ...
  2. Take a loan from your 401(k) or other retirement plan. ...
  3. Sell something. ...
  4. Receive a windfall. ...
  5. Give your savings a boost.

How much house can I afford without being house poor? ›

Lenders often use the 28/36 rule as a sign of a healthy DTI—meaning you won't spend more than 28% of your gross monthly income on mortgage payments and no more than 36% of your income on total debt payments (including a mortgage, student loans, car loans and credit card debt).

How much down payment for a 500k house? ›

Conforming Loan Down Payment – $500k House

Conforming loan down payments can vary from 3% to 20% or more, so for a $500,000 home, you'd need between $15,000 and $100,000. Conforming loans, once again, follow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines and usually offer competitive terms.

What is minimum credit limit to buy a house? ›

Credit score and mortgages

The minimum credit score needed for most mortgages is typically around 620. However, government-backed mortgages like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans typically have lower credit requirements than conventional fixed-rate loans and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs).

What credit score is needed for a 300K house? ›

What credit score is needed to buy a $300K house? The required credit score to buy a $300K house typically ranges from 580 to 720 or higher, depending on the type of loan. For an FHA loan, the minimum credit score is usually around 580.

How does anyone afford a down payment? ›

You can save for a house by using high-yield savings and CD deposit accounts, cutting back your spending elsewhere and looking for down payment matching programs. If those strategies aren't enough, you might also consider asking for a raise at work or even moving back home for a while to cut rent payments altogether.

How to borrow money for a down payment? ›

5 ways to borrow money for a down payment
  1. Take out a HELOC or home equity loan. ...
  2. Get a loan from a friend of family member. ...
  3. Tap your retirement savings. ...
  4. Get a bridge loan. ...
  5. Explore down payment assistance programs.
Sep 29, 2022

What is a piggyback loan? ›

A “piggyback” second mortgage is a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) that is made at the same time as your main mortgage. Its purpose is to allow borrowers with low down payment savings to borrow additional money in order to qualify for a main mortgage without paying for private mortgage insurance.

How much house can I afford if I make $36,000 a year? ›

On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.

What is the lowest income to qualify for a house? ›

There are no specific income requirement to qualify for a mortgage. That said, mortgage lenders do evaluate whether your income suffices to repay the amount you borrow.

How to afford a house when you're poor? ›

Government low-income home loans. Even if you don't qualify for a low-income home buyer program, you may still secure a home through other government-backed loan options. Programs such as FHA, VA, and USDA loans cater to a variety of financial situations, making it possible for many to purchase a home.

How much house can I afford with a $1500 monthly payment? ›

If you bring the national average down payment of 6% to closing and have a 7.69% rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage, that's just shy of $1,700 a month in principal and interest. What does $1,500 buy with those same terms? About $225,000 worth of house, give or take.

How much do most first-time home buyers put down? ›

How Much Is The Average Down Payment On A House? The average first-time buyer pays about 6% of the home price for their down payment, while repeat buyers put down 17%, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS® in late 2022.

What credit score do you need for a $500,000 mortgage? ›

Most mortgages, including conventional loans, require a credit score of 620 or higher. It's possible to get an FHA loan with a credit score as low as 500, but many lenders require higher scores.

What credit score is needed to buy a $400,000 house? ›

Your credit score has less bearing on your ability to get a mortgage than you might think. The minimum FICO score for a conventional loan is 620. The best rate comes with a score of 740 or higher.

Can I buy a house with no money down with a 800 credit score? ›

That depends on your chosen loan program's requirements. For example, it's possible to qualify for a zero-down VA loan even with a credit score in the 500s. However, if you want to supplement a conventional loan with down payment assistance, you'll typically need at least a 620 score.

Which type of mortgage does not require a down payment? ›

Two types of government-sponsored loans – VA loans and USDA loans – allow you to buy a home without a down payment. Each of the two loans has a very specific set of criteria you must meet to qualify for a zero-down mortgage.

How much of a loan can you get with a 720 credit score? ›

You can borrow $50,000 - $100,000+ with a 720 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.

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