Credit
Lenders use a mortgage credit score, often the middle of three bureaus. A higher score opens more programs. It does not, by itself, approve the loan.
FHA’s handbook starts 3.5% down at 580. Conventional pricing improves as scores rise through the 700s. VA lets lenders set the floor. We do not publish a guaranteed minimum.
Checking your own score in an app is not the pull we use. Starting our questions is not a hard inquiry. A later credit pull is explained before it happens. Starting the questions is not a credit pull.
Questions
The question form does not. A hard pull, if one is needed to issue the letter, can have a small effect and mortgage inquiries in a short window are usually treated as one shopping event.
The mortgage score on the tri-merge report, not a credit-card app score.
Sometimes. Medical collections and small unpaid accounts are treated differently than recent late payments. The report decides.
Usually no, not while you are under contract. Ask before you apply for anything new.
No. LenderBot will not ask for it. The full application, off this chat, is where identity is verified.
Choose “not sure” on the pre-approval form. We look it up the right way.
Reviewed by Patrick Crawford, NMLS #231625 · Last updated October 28, 2026