When your credit monitor pings 600, mainstream websites scream "work on your score first," which feels like being told to climb a mountain before you can even see the view. Here's the truth: mortgage lending uses different scoring models (FICO 2, 4, and 5) and different rules than credit-card companies. A 600 on Credit Karma might be 615 on the mortgage pull, and that's often enough.

More importantly, government-backed programs (FHA, VA, USDA) were designed exactly for people who hit life speed-bumps. They allow higher debt-to-income ratios, ignore small medical debts, and count rent history as proof you can handle a housing payment. At NMHL we've built overlays that stay within agency guidelines but give extra weight to the things you control today: steady job, bigger down-payment, or a co-borrower who lives in the home.

So instead of waiting six months for a score to drift up, we run a 'what-if' simulator that shows how many points you'll gain by paying Target card to $0, or by becoming an authorized user on a parent's 20-year-old card. Most clients find 12-25 points in a week, which flips them from 'borderline' to 'approved' without changing anything except strategy.

FHA: The gold-standard for 580–620 borrowers. Put 3.5% down, accept a slightly higher MIP, and you can qualify up to 56.9% DTI if your housing payment doesn't jump more than 25% from current rent. Trick: keep one credit-card open with under 10% utilization and no late payments in the last 12 months; underwriters call that 'compensating factor' and it wipes out a lot of 600-score stigma.

VA: If you're active-duty, veteran, or surviving spouse, VA loans at 600 score require zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and allow sellers to pay all closing costs. Trick: ask the seller for a 4% concession to buy down the rate with discount points; on a 600 score that usually lands you within 0.125% of the 700-score rate.

Non-QM Bank-Statement: Perfect for gig-workers and entrepreneurs. Use 12- or 24-month business deposits to calculate income instead of tax returns. Accepts 600 score with 10% down, or 580 with 15% down. Trick: keep business and personal accounts separate so we can gross-up deposits by up to 15% to offset expenses we can't document.

Each program has quirks — gift funds, reserve requirements, condo approval — but an NMHL loan officer maps them out in plain English so you know the exact cash-to-close and monthly nut before you ever sign a purchase contract.

Maria, school bus driver: Score 602, one collection from an emergency-room visit. Used FHA to buy a $245k townhouse in Phoenix with $1,500 out-of-pocket after a $6,000 city grant. Closed in 38 days.

Devon & Luis, truckers: Combined 595 and 610 scores, each with a prior repo. Put 5% down on a VA IRRRL because Devon is a Navy reservist; rate dropped from 7.25% to 5.75% and saved $312/month.

Sarah, freelance designer: 600 score, 20% tax-write-offs made income look tiny. Qualified with 12-month bank-statement loan at 6.99%, put 10% down, closed in 22 days so she didn't lose the earnest money.

Takeaway: Every borrower had a moment where they figured "this won't work for me" — until they saw the actual guidelines instead of the myths. Your situation is next month's success story if you let us run the numbers.

Day 1: Gather last 30 days of pay-stubs, last 2 months of bank statements, and 2022 W-2. Upload to NMHL's secure portal; no need for printers or scanners.

Day 2: Schedule a 15-min credit strategy call. We'll pull a single-bureau soft check first so we can game-plan without dinging your score. You'll leave with a one-page 'credit roadmap' showing exact dollar amounts to pay on each card.

Day 3–4: Execute the roadmap — usually paying one card to zero and requesting a rapid-rescore. We handle the vendor communication; you just watch the score climb.

Day 5: Receive official pre-approval letter stating loan amount, program, and cash-to-close. Take it to your realtor or start shopping NMHL's First-Look portal where sellers accept our letters as cash offers.

Weekend: Tour homes knowing your financing is locked and loaded. When you find 'the one,' we can shorten inspection and appraisal timelines because the file is already underwritten — a huge advantage in multiple-offer situations.

Most clients complete the entire pre-approval sprint between Monday breakfast and Friday dinner; the only thing slower is waiting for you to pick the house you love.

"I just opened a new credit card for the airline miles — did I ruin everything?" Not at all. One inquiry costs 2-5 points and rebounds in 60 days. Keep the balance under 10% and the higher credit line actually helps utilization.

"My partner's score is 720, but mine is 600. Will I drag us both down?" Only if you need both incomes. If your income alone supports the payment, leave them off the loan and add them to title after closing. If you need both, FHA uses the lower mid-score, but the rate bump is minimal and still cheaper than rent.

"I have a felony from 2014 — does that disqualify me?" Credit score and criminal history are separate universes. As long as you're current on any court-ordered restitution and you have re-established credit, you're eligible for every program we offer.

"What if the market crashes right after I buy?" Buy for payment, not price. A fixed-rate mortgage at 6% is still $400 cheaper than 8% rent hikes every year. If value dips temporarily, your payment stays the same and equity rebuilds with time and amortization.

Whatever silent fear is bouncing around your head at 2 a.m., we've heard it before — and we've still closed the loan.