Your credit score in 2008 is very important when it comes to buying a house. Heck your credit score is important when it comes to getting a loan period these days. Since the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, Wall Street has tightened up on what kinds of mortgage paper they will buy. Most loans are run through automated underwriting engines. The underwriting engine will either say yes or no, but here is the funny thing. Even though the engine says yes, the investor may have its own internal guidelines that would overrule an automated approval. This is not normal in the loan business. During the past years when you got an automated approval with either Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae underwriting engines you were golden.

Mortgage Insurance Companies
Since all the tightening up in the lending industry, the companies that insure these loans have tightened up as well. The reason for this is all the claims that are being filed as a result of defaults on mortgage loans. I have discussed in other articles how everything basically is based on risk, well so is insurance. If the insurance company sees a pattern with certain credit scores and loan types they will tighten up on the underwriting guidelines for those specific borrowers. Currently you cannot get a 100% Conventional prime loan unless you have a 680 credit score. Previously it was below 600 credit scores, but you had a higher interest rate. Currently they will just deny you of the loan, because they cannot get the loan insured. This mortgage crisis will affect everyone, including people with good credit. They will be able to get loans, but the loan guidelines will be more stringent.

FHA loans
FHA loans have been around since 1935. This government entity is the single largest insurer of loans in the world. FHA has baled the housing industry out of the tar pit right after the great depression. It looks like the same savior will be at it again in 2008. FHA loans have not tightened up, but again the investors that buy this paper have. Its common for banks to sell there loans to other banks. This is just a common practice these days. The only problem is the big banks buying paper from the small banks have really tightened up on what type of loans they will buy. With this being said, the entire process is getting tough all around.

Credit Scores
Your credit scores will either make you or break you when it comes to getting credit extended to you. With the disaster in the housing market, you can count on it getting even tougher with credit score requirements. So if you are in the market to get a home, I would recommend getting a copy of your free credit score report and see where your scores stand. Your score will be extremely important in this current lending market.