How's Your FICO?

Choosing a lender isn't the first step in becoming a homeowner. The quality of your wallet begins the home buying process. To realize your goal of owning a home, you must consider your FICO score along with the type of mortgage loan for which you'll qualify in DuBois.

A FICO score is a collection of your years of credit history based on a model developed by Fair Isaac and Company. Most people usually have a score of 600, but scores are tiered from 300 to 850. 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 loan. Some of the factors in summing up your FICO score include:

• Credit to Debt Ratio — How much do you owe versus how much credit you have available?
• 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 — Do you pay your bills on time every month?

In reviewing your credit history, you'll find that you actually have three reports. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — three of the major credit reporting agencies — use a slightly different systems 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 an insight into what type of borrower you'll be based solely on your credit history. You'll need a score of at least 740 to get a decent interest rate. You can qualify for a mortgage loan with a lower score, but the interest paid in the long run could be more than double the amount of someone with a higher credit score.

Getting your credit in order is the best way to ease into buying a home. Contact us and we can help you get on the right track to the home of your dreams.

You want a better score, but how do you get there? Improving your FICO score takes time. It can be hard to make a significant stride change in your credit score with quick fixes, but your score can improve in a year or two by keeping tabs your credit report and by wisely using credit. The best way to do this is to know your FICO score. Here are some methods to improve your credit score:

• Keep your cards active. Whether you're just getting started with credit, or if you've got older cards, 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.
• Pay on time. Your credit score plummets with each account that goes to collections. It's one of the reasons people who have recently been unemployed see the biggest dip in their credit score. Yes, it takes longer to restore your credit this way, but it's the surest way to show that you're able to make payments to a lender.
• Correct your credit report. If you discover 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 at the limit 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 all of your debt taking up the balance a single card.
• Apply for gas station cards or store credit. For those who have non-existent credit or low credit, store credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to establish your credit history, increase your spending limits and keep up your payments, which will raise your credit. You should always avoid holding a large balance for too long because these types of cards usually have a steeper interest rate.

Now that you're more informed about credit reporting, you'll be able to successfully take the first steps to homeownership, and that is improving your FICO score. Remember that when it's time to apply for a loan to purchase a house, 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 Hoffer Realty Associates, the loan process is sure to go more smoothly so you, too, can become a homeowner.

Learn more about FICO scores at myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and you can review all of your credit reports for free each year 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.