FICO

Average payments for first-time buyers have climbed 57% since 2019, while serious delinquency is becoming concentrated among lower-scoring borrowers

One-third of consumers say they would consider switching lenders over older scoring models, making underwriting technology a potential borrower-retention issue

The company points to trended data and tri-bureau consistency as approved lenders begin using greater credit-score choice

FICO 10T enrollment tops 70 lenders while VantageScore 4.0’s presence in TransUnion mortgage credit pulls jumps from less than 5% to roughly 30%

Credit-score pricing contributed heavily to the increase, while exclusive VantageScore use remained limited

New research finds affordability remains the biggest obstacle, but many future buyers also misunderstand how credit affects mortgage eligibility and pricing