Give yourself some credit!
Give yourself some credit, or at least make sure it’s in good shape before embarking on the loan process if buying a house is on your wish list. More than ever, having a healthy credit score is important and could mean the difference between obtaining a home loan or not. Interest rates are at historic lows, so don’t let old habits or debts prevent you from taking advantage of this market. 
This is something I consistently see happening in Wenatchee, WA where I sell real estate for RE/MAX Landmark. Buyer’s contact me and are eager to purchase a home, the first thing I do is put them in touch with a lender to get them pre-approved.
The biggest obstacle recently is people having trouble getting financing. People want to buy, but many have blemishes on their credit preventing them from even getting the process started. That’s a big problem right now.
The first thing to do when checking on your credit is to get the facts. You can visit www.annualcreditreport.com once a year for free to view your credit report, but you must pay a fee to see your score. Once you’ve seen your report, scour it for errors and contact each of the three major credit reporting bureaus to have your report updated if something is wrong.
If your credit is in good shape or fixes have been made, you’re good to go on the home-shopping front. But be sensible. This is not the time to open new accounts and lines of credit. And resist the urge to purchase high-ticket items such as a new car, appliances or furniture. Wait to make those purchases until after you've closed on your home.
This is also a good time to start paying down balances on credit cards. While some revolving accounts such as car payments and mortgages show that you’re a responsible borrower, having high balances on your cards reduces your score. Whether you’re looking for a house or not, paying late obviously is never a good practice. If you need to set up payment reminders or automatic withdrawals for certain bills in order to pay on time, by all means do it. Every reported late payment docks your score and stays on your report for years.
Lastly, pay off debt instead of moving it around on various cards. It might be tempting to do so, but that doesn't remove the history from your credit report. Responsible spending and payments are how you build a spotless credit record. 
If you are looking for a home in the Wenatchee, WA or surrounding areas give me a call I would love to help you.
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