The latest Ellie Mae Millennial Tracker report shows a slight decline in the average credit scores of closed loans to Millennials from the previous year.
The report, which covers November 2017, shows that the trend was most noticeable for FHA and VA loans.
According to Ellie Mae, in November 2016, the average FICO score on a closed FHA refinance loan to a Millennial borrower was 678, but that dropped to 669 in November 2017. On VA loans, the average FICO scores on closed VA refinance loans dropped from 725 in 2016 to 710 in 2017.
“With the average credit score dipping, lenders are extending credit to borrowers who may have had no previous access to the housing market,” said Joe Tyrrell, executive vice president of corporate strategy at Ellie Mae. “While these scores are still significantly above the levels seen a few years ago, it is encouraging to see increased accessibility, especially as the millennial population continues to pursue home ownership.”
According to the Millennial Tracker, the average FICO score for all closed loans to Millennials in November 2016 was 725, while in 2017 it decreased to 723. In terms of all borrowers, Ellie Mae’s most recent Origination Insight Report showed an average FICO score of 728 for borrowers of all ages who closed loans in November 2016 but it dropped to 722 year-over-year.
