Down payment funds

If you've got a credit score of 580 or higher, your FHA down payment can be as low as 3.5%. A credit score that's between 500 and 579 means you'll have to plunk down 10% of the purchase price.

The good news? It doesn't all have to come from savings. You can use gift money for your FHA down payment, so long as the donor provides a letter with their contact information, their relationship to you, the amount of the gift and a statement that no repayment is expected.