Larry, what you speak to is in my opinion invaluable.  Not only are you helping them with a home but you are helping to get credit straightened out, repaired and perhaps a different focus.  Very powerful and incredibly helpful to all of us either individually or for our cusotmers.

Anybody has the potential to get a loan. Really a question of home much interest rate you can absorb as a buyer if you have bad credit.

Sometimes and these days more often than ever buyers need a little more time to get mortgage ready. Staying in touch is your assurance you'll get the deal. In my market I find banks most often blow off an inquiry because they have another deal walking in the door or calling behind that one. I can't tell you how many times in my career I've heard "no one called me back". 

It's important to remember that no is not final. Credit can be fixed with time and determination. Great lenders are such a find.

Just read the newly published book, Credit Score Tips and Tricks, which addresses all these issues. by following the recomeendations and Tips, you can improve your credit score yourself!

People can fix their own credit if they have patience and money. Creating a game plan for the consumer to execute is team work.

Credit Repair, Credit Enhancement, Credit Improvement. Pick one. In the end some Loan officers cant focus on these time consuming files to see them to the end. An Organizational mentality will improve the pull thru with these files. The nice thing about holding the borrowers hand during this process, is that you always get a great referral. Now get back to work! 

I love when the lender says "not yet" instead of "no", and then tells the buyer what specifically they need to do to get approved, get a better rate, etc.

Hi Larry, working with a mortgage professional on credit improvement is the way to go...I always tell my buyers to talk to the experts!

I work with a great lender and the nice part about working with him is he solves problems and it open to working outside the box (not anything wrong) but just being creative.  We had a client sell a car he owed money on to bring down his DTI one time, things like that.

Larry, I like your positive message.  I recommend lenders who believe as you do. There is always hope.

When I first started in real estate there were no mortgage brokers in our small town - people went to the bank. One bank's loan officer in particular was notorious for stringing people along for a month or more before telling them no.

Those people were always so deflated that they quit trying. And that loan person was so uncaring that she never gave them suggestions on how they could improve their credit. As far as they knew, it was hopeless and would always be hopeless.

It was a relief to us when she left the bank - and an even better relief when we started seeing mortgage brokers who actually gave a darn about getting loans placed. 

I've learned over the years some of the "tricks" to credit. It can be counter-intuitive...like paying off a collection is bad vs and old collection. 

You hit the nail on the head Larry.  So many folks get a 'no' from their bank loan officer and resign themselves to life of renting.  My advice is to talk to an expert and figure a way to improve your score. This is a mararathon, not a sprint, and you run it one step at a time.

Paying off medical "Collections" or "Bills"? Not sure how it would hurt your score, other than to reactivate the time period on one.