Skip to main content

Bad credit can't stop you from buying a home. But is this a good idea?

 If you are a mortgagee, the lender is going to look at your credit score. If you have bad credit, they may refuse to give you a loan outright. Or they may charge you a higher interest rate if they are willing to allow you to borrow. This can make becoming a homeowner more expensive.

Since bad credit adversely affects your ability to get an affordable home loan, you might be wondering whether credit score there is any point in going ahead with owning a property

The answer is, it depends - but there are situations where you can bite the bullet and choose to buy a home even if your credit is not great. Here's how you can decide.



Story from Myrtle Beach

your sun fix and surf in Myrtle Beach

Although the ocean points out, there's endless fun to meet in the communities of Myrtle Beach too.

See More

Are You Financially Ready To Buy A Home?

The first thing to consider when deciding whether or not to buy a home is whether you are in generally good financial standing.

See, sometimes people have low credit scores because they do not borrow money and therefore do not have a high credit history. Or in other cases, disasters in the past have damaged their credit but now they are in a sound position financially. If that's the case, then moving forward with buying a home may not be the worst option, even if you have to get a mortgage at a slightly higher rate than someone with a better credit score. You can start to benefit from property appreciation, work on improving your credit, and hopefully refinance after a short period of time

. So, you definitely don't want to buy a house and don't want to create an extra heavy financial obligation for yourself.

Is recession near? A sharp drop in consumer spending could be a sign

of how long it will take to repair your credit?

Obviously, it would be ideal if you looking to improve your credit score so that you have a wider choice of affordable lenders. But if it will take years to do so because you've had a lot of black marks on your credit lately, you might not want to wait.

Get everyone's talking newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Catch up with the trending news you need to know

Delivery: Mon - Fri

Your email

When you delay homeownership, you may notice that properties get more expensive in the interim. You will end up paying more and be deprived of the extra money that comes with the rise in property values. Of course, there's no guarantee that this will happen, and prices may even go down, so a lot depends on the current market conditions where you live.

Delaying homeownership means you'll be paying rent for longer periods of time and won't build equity, and you might not want to do that while you wait years for your credit to improve. Even if you end up paying a slightly higher mortgage rate because of your credit score, you can still improve your net worth by becoming a homeowner instead of a renter. That's because by doing so, your payments will help you get a property instead of just paying for a place to live.

Setting Your Credit to Buy a Home:  This Millennial Couple

Did It How Much Will Your Mortgage Really Cost You?

Finally, you'll want to consider what mortgage options are really on the table for you when deciding whether or not to buy a home with bad credit.

There are some government-backed loans, such as FHA, USDA and VA loans, that can provide affordable options for bad-credit borrowers. If you use these programs or other mortgage lenders that cater to bad-credit borrowers, homeownership may be easily within reach.

Is the pandemic housing the end of the market?  of Change

Story Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp

3 Small Business Owners

To recognize all the work small businesses do for our communities, Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp declared May 31 as Small Business Hero Day and a nationwide search for inspiring local Of. small business owner.

See More

You'll also want to remember that mortgage interest is tax deductible if you itemize, so the government essentially subsidizes the interest you're paying. And you can refinance in the future. If your credit improves, you're not doomed to pay high mortgage interest for life.

In the end, you should consider these three issues and carefully assess your personal situation when deciding whether a purchase is right for you. But if you're paying off the mortgage and have a down payment, don't assume that bad credit means the homeownership is out of reach.

Ascent's best credit card

from The Motley Fool We've reviewed the most popular ones to place in your wallet. Qualified offers to land on select picks. These best-in-class picks pack in rich perks, such as big sign-up bonuses, long 0% intro APR offers, and strong rewards. Get started today with the best credit cards from The Ascent.

We firmly believe in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not previously been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the advertisers involved. Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent's editorial content is separate from The Motley Fool's editorial content and is created by a separate analyst team.from The Motley Fool disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content has been produced independently from USA TODAY.

Can Paying Your Bills With a Credit Card Affect Your FICO Score?

How This Millennial Couple Fixed Their Credit and Bought Their First Home

Fact Check: Your Credit Score Doesn't Come From

The Government Should You Offer Credit Help To Friends Or Family?

Dainik Dhan: Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bear market making you feel helpless? Here are 5 things you can do to take back control.

  Investors looking for ways to channelize nervous energy have come to the right place. It's hard to sit quietly and watch your investment portfolio decline. The best course of action in bear markets is often to take no action, combined with dollar-cost averaging at lower prices over time. One of the good things about this bear market is that it is a great learning experience for new investors, but for now, a bear market sell -off may get worse before it gets better . By making a plan now, an investor can stay one step ahead of a sell-off of facing further volatility with a level top and getting swept up in the chaos. Here are five steps you can take now that will help you regain control and It should help in charting a path towards financial well-being. Weatherproof Stocks:  Here's What to Buy When the Market Is Down and Inflation 1. Make a Watch List It's easy to run out of cash during a bear market if you've already bought dips on many of your favorite stocks. Rat...

Investing Questions: How to Get Started in 6 Steps

  For many Americans, until recently the only financial goal is to stay afloat. About 78% of Americans report that they make enough money each month to pay their bills . So how does one get off the hamster wheel? You start looking for other financial opportunities like investments. Investing is not complicated. But I'm not going to echo that and tell you that by reading an article you'll be ready to buy your first stock -- although you could . After the meteoric rise of GameStop stock , new investors were making enough money to pay off the debt . Like most of the big financial decisions in your life, investing requires careful thought and taking some time to learn the basics before dipping your toe in the water. 'The only option to grow your money': Why new investors buy stock during pandemic Robinhood CEO: We're helping those left behind by Wall Street, not hedge funds when talking to my peers who aren't in the market , one thing is coming: To whom should I tu...