Yes — even at 500 FICO.
Bankruptcy. Collections. Late payments. A bumpy credit history doesn't have to keep you renting. FHA home loans qualify California buyers starting at a 500 FICO with as little as 10% down.
FHA loan terms for credit-challenged buyers.
FHA guidelines for owner-occupied California homes. Final terms depend on your full file — FICO, payment history, income, and property.
Source: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 and 2026 forward mortgage limits. Not a commitment to lend.
Built for buyers, not just for "perfect files."
FHA loans are insured by the U.S. government specifically so banks can say "yes" to borrowers a conventional lender would turn away.
500 FICO floor
Most conventional loans cut off around 620. FHA opens the door at 500 — the lowest score the program allows.
Low down payment
Just 10% down from 500 FICO, or 3.5% from 580 FICO. Gift funds from family allowed.
Higher DTI OK
Debt-to-income ratios up to 50% are allowed under FHA guidelines — way above the conventional 43% cap.
Post-credit-event paths
Bankruptcy, foreclosure, or short sale in your past? FHA has defined waiting periods — and you may already be eligible.
Four steps from "is it even possible?" to keys.
You don't need a perfect file to start the conversation. Honestly, the messier the file, the more I can help.
Tell me where you're at
Current credit score range, what happened (BK, collections, etc.), and what you want to buy. No judgment — I work with this every day.
Pull a soft credit check
With your permission. I'll review your actual file — not what you think it says — and lay out exactly what FHA will and won't accept.
Plan the path
If you're approvable today, we go. If you need 30, 90, or 180 days to clean up a few items, I give you a specific to-do list.
Close the loan
Through Loan Factory's 240+ lender network, I shop the FHA programs that actually fund low-FICO files — not the ones that say yes then back out.
The situations we see every week.
If any of these sounds like you, you're our client. Tell me the story — I've seen worse, and I've closed worse.
Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 — both have defined FHA paths back to homeownership. Time since discharge matters; we'll calculate it.
FHA has waiting periods after a foreclosure or short sale. If yours was a few years ago, you may already qualify.
Medical, credit-card, or old utility collections rarely kill an FHA file. We work through them — payment plans, payoffs, or letters of explanation.
A few late credit-card or auto payments don't end the conversation. Recent mortgage lates are the toughest — but not always fatal.
Joint accounts, missed payments during a split, an ex who stopped paying the joint mortgage — common, fixable, FHA-friendly.
Thin credit file, low score, but you've been paying rent on time for years? FHA was built for you — and we can document non-traditional credit.
An LO who answers honestly — even when the answer is hard.
"I'd rather tell you the truth in 10 minutes than waste your 60 days. Sometimes the truth is 'not yet.' But almost always, there's a path."
I'm Kiri Suykry, Loan Officer at Loan Factory — 20+ years in real estate and mortgages, working in English and Cambodian / Khmer. I close FHA deals across California, including the files other LOs gave up on.
Through our 240+ lender network and AI-powered platform, I match credit-challenged borrowers to the FHA lenders that actually fund 500–579 FICO files — not the ones that quote you, run your credit, then ghost.
Backed by Loan Factory's lender network & tech.
The reason rates come in lower here: we shop, we negotiate, and we make less per file than the big retail shops.
I route your file to FHA lenders that actually fund sub-580 FICO — most lenders quietly cap at 620.
I've seen the messy files. The story behind your credit matters less to me than the path forward.
Loan Factory's AI engine matches your scenario to the lender most likely to approve and price it best.
Honest assessment in 15–20 minutes. If I can't help today, I'll tell you what to fix and when to call back.
Tell me the situation.
I'll tell you the truth.
Quick reply — usually within one business day in Pacific Time. Honest, no-pressure conversation. If FHA isn't the right product for you yet, I'll say so.
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Call or text(949) 245-9313
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Emailkiri@loanfactory.com
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CoverageCalifornia property only · Loan Factory