First Time Home Buyer Unmarried Couples in Arizona
First Time Home Buyers
First Time Home Buyer Unmarried Couples in Arizona
More first time buyers I talk to are couples who are not married yet. The loan is easier than people think. The title, the credit math and the what if conversation are where unmarried buyers get hurt.
The short answer
Yes, an unmarried couple can buy a first home together in Arizona, and the loan works the same way it does for any two borrowers. If you both apply, both incomes and both sets of debts count, and the lower of your two credit scores usually sets the price. On FHA, HUD uses the lowest score of all borrowers. On title, Arizona law makes two unmarried buyers tenants in common unless the deed expressly says joint tenancy with right of survivorship. That one choice decides who gets the house if one of you dies.
A lot of first time buyer calls I take now start with "we are not married yet, does that matter?" For the loan, less than you think. For the deed, a lot more than you think. Here is how I explain it to couples sitting across from me, using the actual rules lenders and Arizona law use. If you are earlier in the process, start with our first time home buyer Arizona guide and come back here when you are deciding how to buy together.
Should Both of You Be on the Loan?
Both of you should apply only if adding the second person makes the approval bigger or the price better. Adding a partner is not automatically a plus. Their income helps, but their credit score and debts come along with it.
| Your situation | What usually works better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Similar scores, both have steady income | Both on the loan | Two incomes raise what you qualify for, and the lower score does not cost you much |
| One strong score, one much lower score | Price it both ways | The lower score usually sets the pricing, so one name can be cheaper if that income qualifies alone |
| One partner has large debts | Price it both ways | Their monthly payments count against the combined income if they apply |
| One partner has no credit score | Talk it through first | Both Fannie Mae and HUD base the loan score on the borrowers who do have scores |
Every person who signs the note is responsible for the whole loan, not half. That is true married or not. It is also the reason I want you to decide this on purpose instead of defaulting to "put us both on it."
Whose Credit Score Counts
The lower score usually wins, and it costs money. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, section B3-5.1-02, updated April 22, 2026, says to pick one score per borrower, the middle of three or the lower of two, and then use the lowest of those as the representative credit score for the loan. Fannie uses that representative score for pricing on all loans.
Fannie's own example makes the point. Borrower one's scores are 590, 605 and 648, so the middle is 605. Borrower two's are 661, 693 and 693, a middle of 693. The representative score is 605. For certain manually underwritten loans, Fannie averages the two middle scores instead, 649 in that example, but only to check the minimum score requirement. The pricing still runs off 605.
| Loan type | How the score is picked with two borrowers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional, Fannie Mae | Each borrower's middle (or lower of two) score, then the lowest of those sets pricing | Fannie Mae B3-5.1-02 |
| Conventional, some manual underwriting | Average of the two middle scores, used only to meet the minimum score | Fannie Mae B3-5.1-02 |
| FHA | Each borrower's Minimum Decision Credit Score, then the lowest of all borrowers | HUD FHA answer on minimum credit score |
On FHA, HUD says the lender determines a Minimum Decision Credit Score for each borrower and then selects the lowest. A score of 580 or higher is eligible for maximum financing, 500 to 579 is limited to 90% loan to value, and under 500 is not eligible. HUD notes that policy applies to case numbers assigned before January 1, 2027, so I will confirm the rule in effect when you apply. Our guide to credit scores for first time buyers covers how to raise yours before you start.
Worth knowing: if your partner's score is well below yours, we can run the loan with you alone and again with both of you, the same day. Sometimes the solo version is cheaper every month even though it qualifies for a little less house.
How Two Incomes and Two Sets of Debts Work
If you both apply, the lender adds your incomes together and adds your monthly debts together. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, B3-6-02, caps the debt to income ratio at 36% on manually underwritten loans, up to 45% with stronger credit and reserves, and 50% through Desktop Underwriter. Your partner's car payment and student loans count the moment they become a borrower.
If only one of you applies, only that person's income and debts count. Married buyers in Arizona deal with community property rules that can pull a spouse's debts into an FHA file even when the spouse is not on the loan, which is what our post on a spouse on the mortgage in Arizona covers. Unmarried couples are not spouses, so that rule is not the one in play. If one income is carrying the whole approval, our guide to buying on a single income runs the numbers.
How to Hold Title in Arizona When You Are Not Married
Two unmarried buyers in Arizona have two main choices, and the default is the one most couples do not want. ARS 33-431 says a grant of real property to two or more people creates an estate in common, not a joint tenancy, unless the deed expressly declares joint tenancy with right of survivorship.
| How you hold title | Who can use it | What happens if one owner dies |
|---|---|---|
| Tenants in common | Anyone, and the default for two or more people | That owner's share passes through their estate, not automatically to the partner |
| Joint tenants with right of survivorship | Anyone, when the deed expressly says so | The survivor owns the property |
| Community property with right of survivorship | Only a husband and wife | The surviving spouse owns the property |
The statute also lets any joint tenant end the right of survivorship by recording an affidavit terminating it with the county recorder. So joint tenancy is not a lock if the relationship changes. Title is set in the deed, and your title company will ask how you want to vest before closing. Decide it together, ahead of time, and if anything about your situation is complicated, talk to an Arizona real estate attorney. I am a loan officer, not a lawyer.
Run Your Own Numbers
Arizona mortgage calculator
- Principal and interest$2,655
- Property tax (est. 0.51%)$223
- Homeowners insurance (est.)$183
- Mortgage insurance$0
- Loan amount$420,000
Estimates only, not a quote or a commitment to lend. Property tax uses Arizona's average effective rate and varies by county and assessment. Insurance is an estimate and Arizona premiums have been rising. HOA dues are not included. Your actual rate depends on credit, loan to value, occupancy, and program.
Want these numbers to be real instead of estimated? We will price your exact scenario across every lender we work with.
Get my real numbersDown Payment When the Money Comes From Both of You
Tell me before you move money, not after. Lenders document where your down payment and closing funds came from, and a large deposit that shows up between bank statements has to be explained and sourced. That is true whether it is your partner, a parent or a bonus.
- If you are both borrowers, each of you can usually bring funds from your own accounts, and we document both.
- If only one of you is on the loan, money from the other partner is treated differently depending on the loan program. Do not transfer it until we have talked.
- If family is helping, gift rules apply. Our guide to gift funds for a down payment walks through the letter and the paper trail.
For the loan itself, FHA's minimum is 3.5% down according to HUD, and conventional loans like Fannie Mae's HomeReady go as low as 3%. At the Phoenix median of $452,285, Redfin's figure for the three months ending September 2026, that is about $15,830 down on FHA or $13,569 on a 3% conventional loan. Our FHA loans in Arizona and conventional loans pages show what each one asks of you. If you are looking up north, our Prescott Valley first time buyer guide is a good example of a town where both loans fit at the median.
Put It in Writing Before You Close
The loan and the deed do not say who paid what or what happens if you split. A written agreement between the two of you can. The couples I see do best settle these before closing:
- Who put in how much of the down payment, and whether that comes back to them first on a sale.
- How the monthly payment, taxes, insurance and repairs are split.
- What happens if one of you wants out. A buyout, a sale, and how long either one gets to decide.
- What happens if you get married later, and whether you will change how you hold title.
The mortgage does not change when the relationship does. Both borrowers stay on the loan until it is paid off, usually by a sale or a refinance into one name, and the refinance has to qualify on the remaining borrower's income and credit alone.
The Order I Would Do It In
- Pull both credit reports and compare middle scores. That tells us right away whether one name or two prices better.
- Price the loan both ways. Solo and joint, same day, same rate sheet.
- Pick how you will hold title. Tenants in common or joint tenancy with right of survivorship, decided together.
- Write your agreement. Before the offer, not after closing.
- Shop with one number. You can browse homes on Arizona Luxury Property Search, then send me the address and I will run the exact payment.
If you want to know who you are working with, here is my page. Every guide we have written for first purchases lives on our first time home buyer Arizona page.
Honest caveat: buying together before marriage is not a bad idea, but it is a bigger legal commitment than most couples realize. You are each on the hook for the whole loan, and Arizona's default title rule may not match what you assume. If talking through the what if questions feels too awkward right now, that is a sign to wait a little longer, not a reason to skip them.
Sources
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-02, Determining the Credit Score for a Mortgage Loan (04/22/2026; representative score, average median score example 590/605/648 and 661/693/693), checked November 9, 2026
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-02, Debt to Income Ratios (36% manual, up to 45% with credit score and reserve requirements, 50% DU), checked November 9, 2026
- HUD FHA answer, Does FHA require a minimum credit score and how is it determined (MDCS, lowest of all borrowers, 500 and 580 thresholds, case numbers assigned before January 1, 2027), checked November 9, 2026
- Arizona Revised Statutes 33-431, grants and devises to two or more persons, checked November 9, 2026
- HUD, Loans page (FHA down payment as low as 3.5%), checked November 9, 2026
- Fannie Mae, HomeReady Mortgage page (down payments as low as 3%), checked November 9, 2026
- Redfin, Phoenix housing market page, three months ending September 2026 (median sale price $452,285), checked November 9, 2026
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 5, 2026 (30 year fixed 7.18%, calculator default), checked November 9, 2026
- Down payment figures computed by Pillar Mortgage Group from the figures above, November 9, 2026
This article is general information from Pillar Mortgage Group, not a loan offer, a commitment to lend, or legal advice. Talk to an Arizona attorney about how to hold title. Loan program rules and rates change, and every loan is subject to credit approval. Pillar Mortgage Group, LLC, NMLS #2700076, Arizona License MB-2009671, Equal Housing Lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an unmarried couple buy a house together in Arizona?
Yes. Lenders treat you as two borrowers on one loan, the same way they would treat any co-borrowers. Both of you sign, both of you are responsible for the full loan, and both incomes and debts count when you both apply.
Whose credit score is used when an unmarried couple applies for a mortgage?
Each of you gets a single score, the middle of three or the lower of two. On a Fannie Mae loan, the lowest of those scores is the representative score used for pricing on all loans. On FHA, HUD says the lender selects the lowest Minimum Decision Credit Score of all borrowers.
Can only one of us be on the mortgage?
Yes. If one partner qualifies alone, applying solo keeps the other partner's credit score and debts out of the decision. The tradeoff is that only the borrower's income counts, so the approval amount may be lower.
How should an unmarried couple hold title in Arizona?
Under ARS 33-431, a deed to two or more people creates a tenancy in common unless it expressly declares joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Joint tenancy passes the home to the survivor. Tenancy in common lets each share pass through that owner's estate. Community property with right of survivorship is only for a husband and wife.
What happens to our mortgage if we break up?
The loan does not change when the relationship does. Both borrowers stay responsible until the loan is paid off, usually through a sale or a refinance into one name. Put a written agreement in place before closing that covers buyouts and who pays what.
Can one partner give the other money for the down payment?
Talk to your loan officer before moving any money. Lenders document where down payment funds come from, and a large deposit from a partner who is not on the loan has to be sourced. How it is treated depends on the loan program and whether that partner is a borrower.
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Pillar Mortgage Group, LLC is a licensed mortgage brokerage based in Scottsdale, AZ. Company NMLS# 2700076 | Arizona License MB-2009671 | Equal Housing Lender.
9089 E Bahia Dr 101A, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Mortgage rates, loan programs, and market conditions are subject to change without notice. Not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval. Third-party market data sourced from publicly available information. Pillar Mortgage Group conducts business in accordance with the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
