How do lenders look at your fico scores for husband & wife

[getahead]

I'm new here & hoping to get information, we're planning on buying our first place by summer next year & are in the process of paying down our debts.  I'm wondering how does the lender determine your fico scores if it's husband & wife?  Do they look at it individually or do they combine it & come out with 1 score?  

[BobboZR2]

They look at both of your scores and it's the lowest middle score of the two of them that determines your rate. You could have stellar credit, but if your wife/husband has horrible credit then the bad credit is going to count. A way around this is for the spouse with the higher scores to apply for the mortgage by themselves; however, this may effect the amount of home you could afford because only that individual's income is counted in the consideration of the loan amount. 

[cdtotten]

Post above is spot on. Middle score of the lowest borrower. On the other hand, if you are going FHA, as long as the lowest middle score qualifies, it won't affect your rate since FHA rates are credit-score ignorant.

[getahead]

Thank you to all, now I have some insight on how all this credit scoring will affect us in buying our first home.  My husband has good credit as for me it ok, but once I pay down my cc it will bump up for sure.  I have no derog's just high cc balances, thanks again.