FICO - The First Step to Owning

Choosing a lender isn't the first step in becoming a homeowner. In reality, the home buying process starts with your finances. To propel your dreams of homeownership forward, you must consider your FICO score along with the type of mortgage loan for which you'll qualify in Burlington, North Carolina.

A FICO score is a collection of your years of credit history based on a model developed by Fair Isaac and Company. The score ranges from 300 to 850, with the majority of people normally having a score of 650. With the change in the economy, however, some people have seen their score lowered as a result of unemployment, delinquent credit card accounts, or credit card accounts closed by the lender due to inactivity. Some of the pieces in deciding your FICO score include:

• Payment History — How many months do you make late payments?
• Credit to Debt Ratio — How much do you owe versus your available credit?
• Credit Inquiries — Do you have too many open accounts?
• Types of Credit — Do you have a healthy mix of credit cards and loans?

Lenders want to make sure that giving you a loan is a safe move. Your credit 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 acceptable interest rate. If your score is less than that, you can still qualify for a loan, but the interest paid over time could be more than double the amount of an individual with a near perfect credit score.

We're used to working with all levels of credit scores. Contact us and we can help you get on the right track to the home of your dreams.

How do you boost your credit score? Improving your FICO score takes time. It can be hard to make a significant stride change in your FICO score with small changes, but your score can improve in a year or two by keeping tabs your credit report and by wisely using credit. The most important thing is to know your FICO score. You'll improve your credit score by using these tips:

• Ensure that your credit history is correct. If you discover 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 sound like a good idea. But, you don't want to have one card that is holding the maximum and have the rest of your cards at a zero balance. It's better to have each of your cards at an even balance than to have the most of your debt sitting on a single card.
• Store cards and service station cards. For those who have non-existent credit or below average credit, chain store credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to establish your credit history, increase your spending limits and have a solid payment history, which will raise your FICO score. You should always beware of holding a large balance for too long because these types of cards normally have a steeper interest rate.
• Keep your cards in rotation. Whether you're just getting started with credit, or if you've got older cards, be sure to use your cards so that your accounts stay active. But, be sure to pay them off in no more than two or three payments.
• Keep up with payments. Late payments hurt your credit history. It's one of the reasons people who have recently experienced job loss see the biggest hit in their credit score. Yes, it takes longer to build up your credit with payment history, but it's the surest way to show that you're responsible enough to make payments to a lender.

Now that you know more about credit reporting, you'll be able to successfully take the first steps to homeownership, and that is improving your FICO score. Know that when you're ready to apply for a loan to purchase a house, you'll want to keep your credit inquiries within a two-week window to avoid a negative mark on your credit score. With the help of David Massey Real Estate, the loan application process can be a stress-free experience so you, too, can achieve home ownership.

Get more information by visiting myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and review your credit history for free 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.