What's a FICA Score? A FICO score is a numerical value that ranges between 300 and 850, with the low end of the scale representing a poor credit risk. Loan sources then use this FICO score to determine whether or not a prospective homebuyer is eligible to receive a home mortgage plan in the first place and then use this same score to establish the number of mortgage plan options that is accessible to the prospective homebuyer. Many loan sources point to a FICO score of 620 as the cutoff point for loan eligibility. Any FICO score lower than 620 does not automatically preclude a prospective homebuyer from obtaining a home mortgage loan, but they are usually only able to acquire a mortgage loan from the private sub-prime market where mortgage interest rates tend to be higher due to the credit risk represented by the borrowers.