Scoring Your Credit

Choosing a lender isn't the first step in becoming a homeowner. The quality of your wallet begins the home buying process. Without a reasonable credit score, purchasing a house is more difficult and, you could end up renting for another couple of years in Cary, North Carolina until your FICO score is acceptable.

The Fair Isaac Company bases your FICO score on the summary of your complete credit history. The score ranges from 300 to 850, with the majority of people traditionally having a score of 600. Even though more people these days are experiencing job loss and delinquent credit cards, FICO scores aren't necessarily adjusted "on a curve." A low score is just that and often means you can't get a decent interest rate. Some of the factors in calculating your FICO score include:

• Credit to Debt Ratio — How much do you owe versus your available credit?
• Credit Inquiries — How many times has your credit history been accessed by someone other than you?
• Types of Credit — Do you have a healthy mix of credit cards and loans?
• Payment History — How many times do you make late payments?

In reviewing your credit history, you'll see that you actually have three reports. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — three of the major credit reporting agencies — use a slightly different systems to calculate your credit rating. FICO is used by Experian. Equifax's model is called BEACON and TransUnion uses EMPIRICA. This means you have three scores, one for each scoring model.

Lenders want to make sure that allowing you a loan isn't a risk for them. Your FICO score gives lenders a view of what type of borrower you are solely because of your credit history. You'll need a score of at least 700 to get a satisfactory interest rate. You'll still qualify for a mortgage loan with a lower score, but the interest accumulated over time could be more than double the amount of an individual with a superior FICO score.

We're used to working with all levels of credit scores. Call us at (919) 924-4991 and we can help you get on the right track to the home of your dreams.

There are strategies to raise your score. Building your FICO score takes time. It can be rare to make a large-scale change in your FICO score with small changes, but your score can improve in a year by monitoring your credit report and by wisely using credit. The best way to do this is to know your FICO score. You'll improve your credit score by using these tips:

• Keep your cards active. Whether you're just getting started with credit, or if you've got older cards, be sure to use your cards to make sure your accounts stay active. But, pay them off in one or two payments.
• Pay on time. Delinquent payments instantly drop your credit score. It's one of the reasons people who have recently experienced job loss see the biggest hit in their credit score. Yes, it takes longer to rebuild your credit this way, but it's the most reliable way to prove that you're able to make payments to a lender.
• Ensure that your credit history is correct. If you find incorrect items on your credit report, write to the bureau requesting that the item be removed. If you have a common name or the same name as a family member, you'll want to give extra care to make sure the activity reported is correct.
• Spread your debt around. At first, this doesn't seem like a good idea. But, you don't want to have one card that is maxed out and have the rest of your cards at a zero balance. It's better to have each of your cards at a smaller balance than to have the bulk of your debt taking up the balance one card.
• Department store cards and service station cards. For those who have non-existent credit or below average credit, store credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to establish your credit history, increase your spending limits and have a solid payment history, which will raise your credit. You must always avoid charging a high balance for more than a couple of months because these types of cards more than likely have a steeper interest rate.

Knowing the ways you can improve your credit score, you can move toward becoming a homeowner. Keep in mind that when you're ready to apply for a loan to purchase a home, you'll want to keep your lender applications within a two-week window to avoid adverse effects on your credit score. With the help of RE/MAX Performance, shopping for a mortgage can be a stress-free experience so you, too, can achieve home ownership.

To learn more, visit myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and review your credit history for free at annualcreditreport.com. And, for a small payment, you can get your FICO score from each bureau on their websites: equifax.com, experian.com and transunion.com.