Scoring Your Credit

Choosing a lender isn't the first step in becoming a homeowner. The content of your wallet starts the home buying process. Saving your money for a down payment is great, but if you don't have an acceptable credit score to back it up, you could end up renting longer than you expected in Lomita until your FICO score is acceptable.

The Fair Isaac Company calculates your FICO score on the summary of your complete credit history. Most people usually have a score of 600, but scores range from 300 to 850. Job loss has been common in the last few years, but FICO scores aren't necessarily adjusted "on a curve." A low score is just that and often means you can't get a decent interest rate. Some of the factors in reviewing your FICO score include:

• Payment History — How many late payments have you made?
• 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 loans and credit cards?

When you pull your credit report, you'll see that you actually have three reports. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — three of the major credit reporting agencies — use a slightly different systems to calculate your credit rating. FICO is used by Experian. Equifax's model is called BEACON and TransUnion uses EMPIRICA. Because of this, you have three scores, one for each bureau.

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 a view of what type of borrower you'll be solely because of your credit history. You'll need a score of at least 700 to get a satisfactory interest rate. If your score is less than that, you can still qualify for a loan, but the interest accrued in the long run could be more than double the amount of someone with a stronger FICO score.

We're used to working with all levels of FICO scores. Call us at (310) 784-8321 and we can help you get on the right track to the home of your dreams.

There are plans to raise your score. Building your FICO score takes time. It can be rare to make a significant stride change in your credit score with quick fixes, but your score can improve in a year by monitoring your credit report and by using credit extended to you to raise your score, instead of ruin it. 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 have older cards, or are just getting started with credit, be sure to use your cards so that your accounts stay active. But, make sure you pay them off in no more than two or three payments.
• Pay on time. Late payments hurt your credit history. 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 build up your credit with payment history, but it's the most reliable way to show that you're able to make payments to a lender.
• Ensure that your credit history is correct. If you find incorrect items on your credit report, write to the bureau requesting 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.
• Even out your debt. At first, this doesn't seem like a good idea. But, you want to avoid of having one card that is holding the maximum and have your remaining cards at a zero balance. It's better to have each of your cards at about 20% of their credit limit than to have the majority of your debt transferred to one card.
• Retail cards and gas cards. For those who have no credit or below average credit, chain store credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to get credit, increase your credit limits and have a solid payment history, which will raise your FICO score. You should always avoid maintaining a high balance for more than a couple of months because these types of cards traditionally have a higher interest rate.

Now that you're better informed about credit reporting, you'll be able to successfully take the first step in owning a home, and that is improving your FICO score. Keep in mind that when you're ready to apply for a loan to purchase a house, you'll want to keep your applications within a two-week window to avoid a negative mark on your credit score. With the help of Kivett Realty, the loan application process is sure to go more smoothly so you, too, can become a homeowner.

To learn more, visit myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and once per year, for free, you can review all three of your credit reports 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.