The change that may help you get a mortgage as a first-time buyer

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau relaxed mortgage lending standards in 2026, allowing lenders to offer loans to borrowers with lower credit scores and higher debt-to-income ratios than previously permitted. The change permits qualified mortgage exceptions that broaden approval criteria for first-time homebuyers. Lenders are now able to originate mortgages outside previous guardrails, though borrowers taking these loans face higher interest rates and stricter prepayment terms.

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