Economists and housing experts have long been touting how difficult it is to get approved for a mortgage nowadays, as banks have tightened up their underwriting standards.

So what is the average approved applicant coming to the table with?

Ellie Mae recently released data showing what it took to get a mortgage in 2012. Sixty-two percent of applicants last year were for refinancing and 38 percent were for loans to purchase a home. Applicants, on average, received an interest rate of 3.90 percent.

Among Ellie Mae’s findings:

• Average time to close on the loan: 48 days
• Average time to close on the refinance loan: 57 days
• Type of Mortgage: Refiance 62% vs Purchase 38%
• Type of Loans: 30-Yr Fixed 79%, 15-Yr Fixed 18%, ARMS 3%
• Average down payment: 21 %
• Average credit score: 748
• Debt to Income ratio: house payment averaged 23 % and total debt 34 %

Believe or not, there is about 37 percent of 200 million Americans have credit scores of 748 or higher.