Can I do a cash-out refinance with a 550 credit score?
If you want to do a cash-out refinance, know that you'll need a credit score of at least 580 for an FHA cash-out refinance or 620 for most other cash-out refinances. Otherwise, explore your options and see if refinancing right now is the best financial choice for you.
Most lenders require you to have a credit score of at least 580 to qualify for a refinance and 620 to take cash out. If your score is low, you may want to focus on improving it before you apply or explore ways to refinance with bad credit.
In general, lenders expect you to have a minimum of 20% in home equity to refinance. In other words, the loan balance must be 80% or less of the home's value. If you don't have enough equity to meet the lender's requirement—especially if you want to take cash out of the home—you may not be eligible to refinance.
- Home equity of at least 20%
- An LTV ratio of no more than 80%
- A current appraisal of your home to verify its value.
- A credit score of at least 620.
- A debt-to-income ratio (including the new loan) of 43% or less.
- Verification of your income and employment.
As with other kinds of mortgages, interest rates on cash-out refinances tend to fluctuate daily. As of May 2023, the average rate for a cash-out refinance ranges between 5% and 7%, but you may be able to score a better deal by comparing options from several different lenders.
The most common reason why refinance loan applications are denied is because the borrower has too much debt. Because lenders have to make a good-faith effort to ensure you can repay your loan, they typically have limits on what's called your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.
Expect a cash-out refinance to take 45 to 60 days, but with a little help, you may speed up the processing time. The faster you provide documentation and secure the appraisal, the faster your lender can underwrite and process your loan. It's a team effort to get the cash in hand that you want from your home equity.
It can be an excellent option for the unemployed or seasonally employed. But there is a catch to it. The interest rates of a no-income verification cash-out refi are typically higher. Also, not many lenders offer such services.
You may be able to do a rate-and-term FHA refinance with a credit score of 500 to 580, but those loans can be hard to access. That's because you have to find an FHA-approved lender, and lenders can add their own guidelines to the FHA's rules.
You'll need a minimum credit score of at least 620 if you want to take a cash-out refinance, in most scenarios. Rocket Mortgage will do a VA cash-out refinance with a median FICO® Score as low as 580 if you keep 10% equity in the home after the refinance.
Can you do a 90% cash-out refinance?
Usually, the limit for the amount of cash you can receive is 80% of the value of your home. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, if you're a veteran using a VA Cash-Out Refinance you may be eligible to refinance up to 100% of the value of your house.
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is typically the most inexpensive way to tap into your home's equity.
Program Description
These loans can be used as strictly cash at closing, to payoff debt, make home improvements, and pay off liens. The Cash-Out Refinance Loan can also be used to refinance a non-VA loan into a VA loan. VA will guaranty loans up to 100 percent of the value of your home.
There are two main types of home refinances. Cash out refinances, which allow you to get cash from the value of your home's equity, and no cash out refinances which allow you to change the interest rate and terms of your current mortgage without taking cash from your equity.
The benefits of a cash-out refinance include access to money at potentially a lower interest rate, plus tax deductions if you itemize. On the down side, a cash-out refinance increases your debt burden and depletes your equity. It could also mean you're paying your mortgage for longer.
Yes, there are options other than refinancing to get equity out of your home. These include home equity loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), reverse mortgages, Sale-Leaseback Agreements, and Home Equity Investments.
Refinancing doesn't necessarily have to affect the equity in your home, but in certain cases it definitely can. Factors that determine the equity in your home include the balance owed on your mortgage and how much your home is worth. The difference between these two figures is your home equity.
Conventional refinance: For conventional refinances (including cash-out refinances), you'll usually need at least 20 percent equity in your home (or an LTV ratio of no more than 80 percent).
| Product | Interest Rate | APR |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Fixed Rate | 6.40% | 6.49% |
| 5-1 ARM | 6.51% | 7.86% |
| 10-1 ARM | 7.01% | 8.00% |
| 30-Year Fixed Rate FHA | 6.82% | 6.87% |
You don't need a down payment to refinance, but you'll likely have to come up with cash for closing costs. Some lenders let you roll closing costs into the mortgage to avoid upfront expenses. You can also try negotiating with the lender to waive them.
Do you need 20 equity to refinance?
When it comes to refinancing, a general rule of thumb is that you should have at least a 20 percent equity in the property. However, if your equity is less than 20 percent, and if you have a good credit rating, you may be able to refinance anyway.
Once your closing attorney receives the money from your new lender, your attorney will record your new mortgage, payoff your old mortgage, and send you a check for any money you were getting back.
A refinance takes 30 to 45 days to complete in most cases, but it could always require more or less time depending on a variety of factors. For example, appraisals, inspections and other services that third parties handle can slow down the process.
| Lender | Loan Amounts | APRs |
|---|---|---|
| Oportun | $300 - $18,500 | 10.07% - 35.95% |
| OneMain Financial | $1,500 - $20,000 | 18% - 35.99% |
| RISE | $500 - $5,000 | 60% - 299% |
| Jora Credit | $500 - $4,000 | 99% - 349% |
To qualify for most types of mortgages, you'll need a credit score of at least 620. Some loan types, such as FHA loans, accept lower scores, but a higher score will almost always get you the lowest available interest rate. And that could save you a significant amount over your loan term.
