FICO - The First Step to Home Buying

Raise your FICO score  to buy a home in Durham with Bullard Properties as your real estate professional - 9196216953

You might think that the home buying process starts with getting pre-approved for a loan or with choosing a real estate agent. In reality, the home buying process begins with your finances. Without an acceptable FICO score, buying a house is harder and, you could find yourself renting for another couple of years in Durham, North Carolina until your FICO score is acceptable.

The Fair Isaac Company calculates your FICO score on the summary of your complete credit history. Most people usually have a score of 600, but scores are tiered from 300 to 850. Since we've experienced an economic downturn, however, some people have seen their score drop by hundreds of points as a result of loss of employment, closed credit card accounts, or credit card accounts that were closed because they don't carry a balance. Some of the pieces in reviewing your FICO score include:

  • Credit Inquiries — Do you have too many open accounts?
  • Types of Credit — Do you have a healthy mix of loans and credit cards?
  • Payment History — How many late payments have you made?
  • Credit to Debt Ratio — How much do you owe versus your available credit?

When you pull your credit report, you'll see that you actually have three reports. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — three of the major credit reporting agencies — use a slightly different models to determine your credit rating. FICO is used by Experian. Equifax's model is called BEACON and TransUnion uses EMPIRICA. You have a credit score with all three of the bureaus.

When you apply for a mortgage or any other loan, lenders want to make sure that extending a loan to you isn't a risk. Your FICO score gives lenders a view of what type of borrower you'd be based solely on your credit history. Because of the shift in the economy, most home buyers should have scores in the range of 740 or higher to get a decent interest rate. If your score is less than that, you can still qualify for a loan, but the interest accumulated over the life of the loan could be more than double the amount of someone with a near perfect credit score.

Staying on top of your FICO score is the best way to ease into purchasing a home. Contact me and I 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 hard to make a significant change in your credit score with small changes, but your score can improve in a year by keeping tabs your credit report and by using credit extended to you to raise your score, instead of ruin it. The best way to do this is to know your FICO score. You'll improve your credit score by using these tips:

Raise your FICO score  to buy a property in Durham with Bullard Properties as your real estate agent - 9196216953
  • Correct your credit report. If you find mistakes on your credit report, contact the bureau asking that the item be removed. If you have a common name or the same name as a family member, you'll want to pay extra attention to make sure the activity reported is correct.
  • Spread your debt around. At first, this doesn't sound like a good idea. But, you don't want to have one card that is maxed out and have your remaining cards at a zero balance. It's better to have each of your cards at an even balance than to have the most of your debt taking up the balance one card.
  • Apply for gas cards or department store credit. For those who have no credit or less-than-stellar credit, retail credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to obtain credit, increase your credit limits and have a solid payment history, which will raise your credit. You should always avoid maintaining a large balance for too long because these types of cards usually have a higher interest rate.
  • Keep your cards in rotation. Whether you have older cards, or are just getting started with credit, be sure to use your cards to make sure your accounts maintain an active status. But, be sure to pay them off in no more than two or three payments.
  • Stay on top of payments. How often you're late with payments greatly affects your credit score. It's where 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 show that you're able to make payments to a bank.

Now that you're better informed about credit reporting, you'll be able to successfully take the first steps to homeownership, and that is improving your FICO score. 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 Bullard Properties, the loan process can be a stress-free experience so you, too, can become a homeowner.

Learn more about FICO scores at www.myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and you can review all of your credit reports for free each year at www.annualcreditreport.com. And, for a small payment, you can get your FICO score from each bureau on their websites: www.equifax.com, www.experian.com and www.transunion.com.

I won't judge you based on your credit and can help you settle into home ownership with the best mortgage lender for you. E-mail me at bullardw@aol.com or call 9196216953 for additional information.