Quick answer: On a $750,000 Longmont 80503 home with 20% down, Fannie Mae's price adjustment on the $600,000 loan is $2,250 at a 780 credit score and $10,500 at a score from 680 to 699. That is about $8,250 more in loan pricing for the lower score, per the 2026 matrix.
By Katerina Veteskova, Colorado real estate broker license FA.100082955, eXp Realty, LLC
Your credit score does not just decide whether a lender says yes. On a conventional loan it changes the price of the money through a charge called a loan-level price adjustment, or LLPA.
This guide runs that charge on one example: a $750,000 purchase in the 80503 zipcode in Longmont, financed with 20% down. The figures come from the Fannie Mae LLPA Matrix dated September 30, 2026.
How much does a 680 credit score cost on a $750,000 Longmont loan?
About $10,500 in loan pricing, versus $2,250 at 780 or higher.
With $150,000 down, the loan is $600,000 and the loan-to-value ratio is exactly 80%. That lands in the matrix column for 75.01% to 80.00%. Here is the adjustment for each score band on that loan, from the Fannie Mae LLPA Matrix:
- 780 or higher: 0.375%, or $2,250
- 760 to 779: 0.625%, or $3,750
- 740 to 759: 0.875%, or $5,250
- 720 to 739: 1.250%, or $7,500
- 700 to 719: 1.375%, or $8,250
- 680 to 699: 1.750%, or $10,500
- 660 to 679: 1.875%, or $11,250
- 640 to 659: 2.250%, or $13,500
- 639 or lower: 2.750%, or $16,500
The matrix says these adjustments are cumulative with other loan features, so a condo or a second home adds its own line as well.
Is $750,000 a realistic price in 80503?
Yes, it sits just above the middle of recent sales.
Redfin put the 80503 median sale price at $726,786 for the three months ending September 2026, with homes selling in around 59 days at 98.5% of list. Those figures cover the whole zipcode, which reaches past city limits toward Niwot. Browse current listings in the Longmont homes from $700K search.
Which score does a lender use when two buyers apply?
The lowest of the borrowers' individual scores, after each borrower is reduced to one number.
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide spells out the steps. Each borrower's score is the middle of three, or the lower of two. When more than one person is on the loan, the lowest of those numbers becomes the representative score that sets the LLPA.
Say one buyer pulls 790, 785 and 770, and the other pulls 702, 690 and 688. The middle scores are 785 and 690, so the loan prices at 690. On this $600,000 loan that means the 680 to 699 band at $10,500. If the 785 buyer can qualify alone, the loan prices in the 780 band at $2,250.
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Does a bigger down payment shrink the credit score fee?
Yes, because the matrix steps down at 75% loan-to-value.
Put 25% down, or $187,500, and the loan drops to $562,500 at exactly 75%. That moves you into the 70.01% to 75.00% column:
- 780 or higher: 0.000%, or $0
- 740 to 759: 0.375%, or about $2,109
- 680 to 699: 1.125%, or about $6,328
For a buyer in the 680s, the extra $37,500 down cuts the adjustment by about $4,172. It also lowers principal and interest at the 7.24% rate from about $4,089 to about $3,833 a month.
What does the 7.24% average assume about your credit?
It reflects good-to-excellent credit and 20% down, so it is a benchmark, not your quote.
Freddie Mac reported a 30-year fixed average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026. Its survey describes the typical borrower in that number as having good or excellent credit and a 20% loan on a home purchase. If your score sits lower, expect the LLPA to show up somewhere in the pricing your lender gives you.
Is there a minimum credit score for a conventional loan in 2026?
Not for loans approved through Fannie Mae's automated system, though manual approvals still need 620.
The Selling Guide section on credit scores says no minimum applies to Desktop Underwriter casefiles. Manually underwritten fixed-rate loans need 620 and adjustable-rate loans need 640. The representative score rules apply to pricing on every loan either way.
Does the loan amount matter in Longmont?
Only once you approach the county limit, and a $600,000 loan is well under it.
The FHFA 2026 conforming loan limit list sets the one-unit cap at $879,750 in Boulder County and $832,750 in Weld County. Longmont touches both counties, so check which one a home sits in before you size a larger loan.
Should you raise your score before you write an offer?
Only when a small gain would move the loan into a cheaper band.
Choose to wait and work on your score if:
- You are a few points below a band edge, such as 678 or 718
- A co-borrower's lower middle score is the one setting the price
- No home in the Longmont homes from $700K or Lafayette homes from $700K searches needs an offer this week
Choose to buy now and price the fee in if:
- Your score sits mid-band, so a small gain would not change the column
- You can reach 25% down and cut the adjustment that way
- The right home is listed today in Boulder $700K to $1M or Louisville $700K to $1M
Where can a $750,000 budget go near Longmont?
Start with Longmont homes from $700K, then widen to Lafayette homes from $700K and Boulder homes from $700K.
For attached options, see Boulder townhomes and condos from $700K. Nearby, compare Louisville homes from $700K, Superior homes from $700K, Superior $700K to $1M, Broomfield homes from $700K and Broomfield $700K to $1M. The Front Range $700K to $1M search covers the wider area, and Boulder County cash to close shows down payment plus closing costs. If this is your first purchase, read first home in Boulder County.
Broker view: "I ask buyers to pull all three scores before we tour, because a few points can move a loan into a cheaper column. When two people apply, the lower middle score sets the price, so we check both before deciding whose name goes on the loan." - Katerina Veteskova, eXp Realty, LLC
What this guide does not cover: FHA, VA and USDA pricing, jumbo loans, mortgage insurance, condo and second-home add-ons, credit repair, closing costs, property tax, homeowners insurance and HOA or metro district dues. Your lender's Loan Estimate shows how your own price comes together.
Sources: Fannie Mae LLPA Matrix dated September 30, 2026. Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-01 and B3-5.1-02, dated April 22, 2026. Freddie Mac PMMS weekly survey, 7.24% on the 30-year fixed for October 29, 2026. FHFA county list of 2026 one-unit conforming limits. Redfin 80503 zipcode housing market page, three months ending September 2026, checked November 1, 2026. Dollar figures are my arithmetic from those inputs.
Sorting out credit before a Longmont offer? Call or text 720-646-4685, or request a tour.
Frequently asked questions
What credit score do I need to buy a home in Longmont?
Fannie Mae sets no minimum score for loans approved through its Desktop Underwriter system, and a manually underwritten fixed-rate loan needs 620. The score still sets the price: on a $600,000 loan at 80% of value, the adjustment runs from $2,250 at 780 or higher to $16,500 at 639 or lower.
Which credit score does the lender use when two of us apply?
For pricing, the lender takes each borrower's middle score of three, or the lower of two, and then uses the lowest of those scores for the loan. One co-borrower in the 680s prices the whole loan in the 680 to 699 band.
Do I pay the loan-level price adjustment at closing?
Fannie Mae charges it to the lender when it buys the loan. Ask each lender to show how it handles that charge on your Loan Estimate, whether as points, a credit or a higher rate, so you can compare offers line by line.
Can first-time buyers avoid these fees?
Some can. Fannie Mae waives all loan-level price adjustments on HomeReady loans and on loans to first-time buyers whose qualifying earnings are at or below 100% of the area median, or 120% in high-cost areas.
Katerina Veteskova is a Colorado real estate broker (license FA.100082955) with eXp Realty, LLC. Call or text 720-646-4685, or request a tour.