How can I get a mortgage with bad credit? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Having bad credit can make it much harder for a borrower to find a mortgage with good, or even decent terms. The minimum FICO score typically required to qualify for a home varies based on loan type. For conventional mortgages, the minimum score is 620, for FHA loans, the minimum score is 580 and for VA loans, there is no minimum credit score, yet most lenders require a minimum score ranging from 580 to 620.

If your credit isn’t where you want it to be but you can’t wait to get into a home, consider looking into an FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan, which is backed by the government. FHA loans allow borrowers with down payments as low as 3.5% to qualify for home loans, if their credit scores are 580 or higher. If your score falls below 580, you might still qualify if you can increase your down payment to 10%.

To find lenders offering FHA loans, use the Lender Search List made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. One call out — FHA loans that require less than a 20% down payment, typically require a borrower to pay Private Mortgage Insurance until the borrower has built up sufficient equity in their home. While this will likely increase your monthly mortgage payment, as long as you choose a home that fits your budget, this is a good option since low-down payment mortgages can enable you to start building generational wealth as a homeowner.

Some states also offer programs to help those with bad credit secure a home loan, although there are usually other eligibility requirements included. You can check with your local or state housing department to see what programs they offer. There are also lease-to-own programs worth looking into from companies like Landis that enable potential homeowners to rent out a home for a specific amount of time with the intent of purchasing at the end of the lease.

If you’re credit isn’t great but you’re looking for other ways to improve your application, try to:

* Focus on getting your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) in good standing. Although not directly related to credit scores, having a low (DTI) ratio will set you up for success when applying for a mortgage with favorable terms. Your DTI is an important factor because it shows a lender that you won’t be using up all of your remaining cash on making your house payment.

* Save for a bigger down payment. A bigger down payment means you’ll own more of your new home from the start, but it also makes you a lower-risk borrower in the eyes of a lender, which usually translates into a lower interest rate.

Consider a co-signer. Having a co-signer to co-sign a loan with you could help a borrower qualify for a mortgage because the co-signer’s income and assets are factored in and can help lower your DTI and overall show a lender that you’re in a more secure position to weather any potential financial roadblocks.

This question originally appeared on Quora.

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