Hi Amy,

The credit score to buy a home depends on many factors such as the program and the mortgage company being used, as they all have different credit score requirements based of the federally set scores per program. For Example, some banks allow scores as low as 500 for conventional loans as long as you provide 20% or more for the down payment. While some banks will not approve you unless you have over a 620. While majority of banks operate around 580 for FHA and VA loans.

Best practice would be to shop around to see who has the most relaxed guidelines as you have 14 days from the first credit pull to have your credit run as many times as you need to shop multiple lenders.

Yes and no. Depending on the program and other factors will determine if you can buy a home with 1 year of work history. For example, if you were in school, that will count as employment history. For FHA loans, 2 years of work history is typically required, while for Conventional only 1 year is required. For self-employment, 2 years will always be required, and you must be able to supply 2 years of tax returns.