Special offer

Don't be Blindsided -- Know Your Credit Score!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with American Foursquare Realty RM423982

Don't be Blindsided -- Know Your Credit Score!

When making a major purchase on credit, your credit score is most probably the most important piece of information that the prospective creditor looks at.

Do you know what your credit score is?

A credit score is fluid -- it changes along with financial events in your life and the passage of time.  At the very least, you should check your credit score once a year.

FICO Score

The leading provider of credit scores is Fair, Isaac and Company.  Their score, known as a FICO score, is an industry standard.  It is so easy and inexpensive to find your own credit score.  For $19.95, you can get your credit score at www.myfico.com.  It's quick and easy.

FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850.  A minimum score of 620 is required for most home mortgage products.

By monitoring your credit score, as well as your credit reports, you can see if errors have been made, or a fraud perpetrated against you.  Better to fix now rather than later!

Don't wait until you need credit to know your credit score!  Forewarned is forearmed -- Check your credit score today!

 

 

Posted by
 Richard Strahm is an award winning Realtor specializing in the North Penn areas of Montgomery County -- Lansdale, Upper Gwynedd, North Wales, Towamencin, Hatfield -- and beyond!  Visit him at www.a4square.com or call today at 215-853-2624 for a free and private consultation about all of your real estate needs.
 
 
Richard Strahm
Broker / Owner
Realtor, ABR, CRS, PSA, SFR, SRS, SRES
 
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA

415 North Broad Street
Lansdale, PA 19446

Direct: (215) 853-2624
Office: (215) 647-0700
Fax: (215) 529-8931

Email:  Richard@a4square.com

www.a4square.com

PA Lic # RM423982

Copyright © 2010-2018 Richard Strahm.   All rights reserved worldwide.

John Meussner
Mortgages in AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IN, MD, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NV, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI - Fair Oaks, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Fair Oaks, CA 484-680-4852

Good info Richard.  Also very important for folks to avoid the 'free credit score!' ads, as many aren't the same scores used to qualify for loans.

Feb 22, 2011 06:29 AM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

John - A Flyers fan -- my kind of guy! 

Your point is very valid.  There are a lot of companies out to make a buck off of the unsuspecting public.  In my opinion, the ONLY place to go for a credit score is the source -- Fair Isaac!

Feb 22, 2011 06:33 AM
Karen Burket
Bank of Oregon a division of Willamette Valley Bank - Medford, OR
Valley Mortgage Grou, Conventional, FHA, VA, mortgages

And let's not forget that a lot of investors are pulling a refreshed credit report prior to funding of a loan.  If there is any new debt that incurred since the application date, that could potentially have an effect on their new loan. 

Feb 22, 2011 06:37 AM
Liz Wallace
Century 21 Sherlock Homes - Rockville Centre, NY
Broker C21 Sherlock Homes, Rockville Centre, LI, N

people should check their credit score at least once a year.  You need to know just where you stand and if anyone is playing around with your credit.

Feb 22, 2011 07:10 AM
Virginia Gardner
Roy Wheeler Realty Co. - Charlottesville, VA
Realtor, Charlottesville, Serving Central Virginia

Well, those "free credit score" places do perform a service, though.   That's where people can find out of there is mis-information, rather than having to scramble with excuses and such when the lender pulls the report.

Feb 22, 2011 08:27 AM
Judith Parker
ProStead Realty - Charlotte, NC
CRS, GRI, CMRS, Charlotte, NC

Hi Richard, good blog.  Knowing and keeping up with our credit score is great advice.  Thanks for sharing companies to contact.

Feb 22, 2011 01:39 PM
Joshua Zargari
MJ Decorators Workshop LI staging and home decorating - Lynbrook, NY
MJ Decorators Workshop

Good morning Richard, very good information...Thank you!

Have a nice day!

Feb 22, 2011 10:19 PM
Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Good information Richard - our credit score is so important we should always keep on top of it!

Feb 23, 2011 12:47 AM
Michelle Francis
Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA
Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Richard, 

Good reminder to stay on top of, as well as know your credit score.  We have little battles in my family to see who is higher, my husband or I.  The good news is we are typically within 5 points of each other in a good place:-)

All the best, Michelle

Feb 23, 2011 01:41 AM
Rodney Mason, VP of Mtg Lending
Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Atlanta, GA
AL,AR,AZ,CA,CO,FL,GA,IN,MI,MS,NC,NV,SC,TN,TX,VA,WA

The problem with purchasing credit scores is that they often vary from what a mortgage company will pull.  What most do not know is that there are different industries use different credit scoring models.  That means that a score a consumer pulls the same day I pull one can vary.  What I am pulling uses a mortgage scoring model, while what they are getting is most likely from a consumer model.

Feb 23, 2011 02:32 PM
Richard Strahm
American Foursquare Realty - Lansdale, PA
Lansdale and North Penn Real Estate

Rodney - I'm not going to disagree with you -- there are nuances in different credit score models.  But a consumer is not going to see a 720 and a creditor see a 615!

 

Feb 24, 2011 01:30 AM