A recent survey from Fannie Mae finds that a huge percentage of Americans are overestimating what it takes to secure a mortgage — and those misconceptions about mortgage qualifications could be holding people back from purchasing their dream home.
Fannie Mae’s survey aimed at exploring how well consumers understand the basic requirements for obtaining a mortgage. And what they found were a lot of misconceptions.
For example, the average consumer believes you need at lease a 10 percent down payment and a credit score of 650 to secure a mortgage — when, in reality, you only need a down payment of 3 percent and a credit score of 580 to qualify. Most consumers (a whopping 77 percent) aren’t even aware that low down payment mortgage programs exist.
The Takeaway: Don’t let your misconceptions about mortgages hold you back from buying your dream home. Getting a mortgage might be more attainable than you originally believed — even if you have a less-than-perfect credit score or a smaller down payment.
