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BEST REALTOR HELPS YOU GET THE CREDIT YOU DESERVE

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with 1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC 156842

Find the Best Realtor in Fayetteville and get the credit you deserve. A recent conversation with a local Fayetteville loan officer revealed that mortgage applications are being reviewed far more thoroughly now than in the past, and that your credit score should be 680 or higher to qualify for the best interest rates.  So how do I determine my score, and what does the Best Realtor in Fayetteville have to do with getting the credit I deserve? The following paragraphs will highlight facts and figures you should know, and how the Best Realtor can assist.

Everyone is allowed one free credit report per year from the three reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion).  Review the reports for accuracy and act quickly to correct any errors or omissions.

Approximately 35% of your credit score is based on the timeliness of your payments.  Make sure that no late payments older than seven years are still on your report.

If you have paid off loans or credit cards, a zero balance should appear on those accounts.  Sometimes, agencies don't properly update those balances after settlement.

15% of your credit score is based on the length of your credit history, so make sure that the opening dates of all your accounts are accurate.  Also make sure that the limits on your credit cards are correct, and keep the balances under 50% of those limits.  Total debt accounts for 30% of your credit score.

 

Think twice about closing credit card accounts with zero balances, because this negatively reduces your ratio of "available credit" to your debt. Try this instead. First, order copies of your credit reports, then make corrections. Finally, apply for home financing and call the Best Realtor you can find in Fayetteville. As stated in the first paragraph, the Best Realtor in Fayetteville will have a list of local lenders you can choose from, if you don’t have your own. So don’t hesitate... do your due diligence and find the Best Realtor in Fayetteville. You’ll be glad you did!

Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Good tips, and whatever a buyer does . . . don't add MORE to the debt!  Keep things as they are while going through the home buying process.  THEN, but the new fridge, window treatments, lawn gear ...

Mar 25, 2011 09:29 AM
Clark Cook
1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC - Fayetteville, NC
Marketing Homes For Sale In Fayetteville NC Area

That's right Carla! If you are trying to finance a home wait until the transaction is closed before acquiring more debt!

Mar 25, 2011 09:42 AM
Jerry Newman
Brown Realty, 210-789-4216, - San Antonio, TX
Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation

Hi Clark. As always, you are right on the money about credit. Buyers should check with a good mortgage counselor before they do anything will drastically effect their credit scores.

Mar 25, 2011 10:38 AM
Clark Cook
1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC - Fayetteville, NC
Marketing Homes For Sale In Fayetteville NC Area

Hey Jerry! Amen brother! The last thing a borrower wants to do is throw their debt to income ration out of whack! By meeting with a good lender early in the process they can avoid being turned down for a mortgage, because of a purchase such as a new car.

Mar 25, 2011 11:11 AM
Christine Smith
Buyers Brokers Only LLC - www.BuyersBrokersOnly.com - Canton, MA
Exclusive Buyer Agent & Attorney, Canton, MA

Great tips for buyers Clark.  People sometimes don't realize how closing a zero balance card could hurt their score.

Mar 25, 2011 02:30 PM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Makes me crazy - seems counterintuitive to not cancel a credit card you don't use with a zero balance, but that is exactly what finance whizzes recommend.

Good post.

Mar 25, 2011 03:05 PM
Clark Cook
1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC - Fayetteville, NC
Marketing Homes For Sale In Fayetteville NC Area

That's right Christine, it does take away points! And, there's no sense doing that because the higher your score the lower the interest rate!

Thank you Mona! Try not to think about it. It is what it is!

Mar 26, 2011 01:35 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Clark, credit requirements have changed over the years, and you have some GREAT points here for your buyers!   GREAT post!

Mar 26, 2011 03:06 AM
Clark Cook
1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC - Fayetteville, NC
Marketing Homes For Sale In Fayetteville NC Area

Hey Joan, I appreciate your comment and compliment! Thanks so much!

Mar 26, 2011 06:56 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good advice.  Everyone should take advantage of the free credit reports and all should carefully check the reports for errors that need to be corrected.

 Life is better when there are flowers to photograph!

Mar 27, 2011 01:42 AM
Clark Cook
1st Choice Realty of Fayetteville, LLC - Fayetteville, NC
Marketing Homes For Sale In Fayetteville NC Area

That's right Roy, everyone should check their report! Thanks for stopping by.

Mar 27, 2011 01:14 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

I hope you are having a most productive week. I started to give you a call last week when we were in Pinehurst. We ran out of time.

 Life is better when there are flowers to photograph!

Mar 31, 2011 01:34 PM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Clark:  As a lender, I'll make an addition here ...  Many lenders will run credit reports for FREE should the person wanting/needing the report be:  A.  A client they serviced for lending in the past ... or B.  Someone hoping to buy a home in the near future, but presently experiencing credit challenges.  Many lenders also provide advice and guidance to assist those in need of correcting their reports or elevating their scores.  They just consider it a part of the normal services they offer.  I know I certainly do this ... and I'm not alone.

Thanks for getting the word out about the importance of credit ... as well as working with the Best Realtor possible.

Gene

Apr 02, 2011 10:24 AM