Posted in Credit Score

5 Reasons You Need to Improve Your Credit As A Local Real Estate Expert

If you’re looking to purchase a property or secure financing for your dreams, then improving your credit score is key. As a local real estate expert, I have seen the positive impact that credit improvement can make in giving individuals access to better mortgage rates and loan terms. Here are five reasons why it’s important for you to improve your credit before pursuing a home purchase.

Lower Interest Rates: One of the biggest benefits of improving your credit is that it can lower the interest rate on your loan. When lenders look at potential borrowers, they take into account their credit scores when setting their interest rates. The higher your score, the lower the interest rate you can expect on the loan – and this can result in substantial savings over time!

More Home Buying Options: Improving your credit will also open up more options for you when it comes time to buy a house or condo. If you have bad credit, many lenders may be unwilling to provide financing or may require higher down payment percentages than if you had a better credit score. Having a good rating puts more homes within reach and greatly increases opportunities for homeownership – something every person deserves!

Easier Debt Management: Good credit helps not only during the home buying process but after as well. Having high enough scores gives access to more attractive debt management options like balance transfers and debt consolidation loans which help reduce monthly payments significantly while paying off debt faster with more favorable terms than default repayment plans. This can help relieve stress and give peace of mind knowing that there’s an easier way to pay back debt without sacrificing personal financial security in order to do so.

Increased Access To Other Loans: Not only does having good ratings open up home buying possibilities but it also grants access to other types of financing such as car loans or personal loans with much lower interest rates compared to what subprime borrowers typically experience due to their poor scores! With regularly scheduled payments, these can easily be managed and paid off quickly – leading towards increased financial success long-term and asset building sooner rather than later!

Higher Credit Card Limits: As noted above, one benefit of improving one’s rating is being able to apply for more attractive cards with higher limits which allow consumers greater freedom in making purchases while avoiding excessive fees associated with maxing out their cards each month – something especially important during times of economic hardship where every penny counts! And because these are revolving lines of credit, regularly utilized ones lead towards even further improvements in a consumer’s score over time – meaning more opportunities down the road!

Credit improvement isn’t just about getting better rates on mortgage loans; it’s about opening doors that otherwise would remain closed due to having weak ratings in the first place! Whether wanting improved debt management options or greater financial freedom overall, taking action towards improving one’s rating should be seen as an investment into both short-term stability and long-term success – all through simple steps such as checking reports regularly, disputing errors promptly, making timely payments consistently and focusing on reducing existing balances whenever possible!

Posted in Buying Homes, Credit Score, Home Buyers, home ownership, Midland Saginaw Real Estate, real estate, Real Estate Bay Midland Saginaw, Uncategorized

Don’t Get Sidelined by Your Credit!

You can’t have good credit unless you have debt. Sound like an oxymoron? It always has to me, but nevertheless it is a fact.  As a Realtor, I am often in the position of raising awareness about repairing credit and even the importance of how the system works and what your current score is.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people who have a 20% down payment on hand (in their mattress) but have no credit and are shocked when they can’t get a mortgage. Then there are those who have 15 different credit cards, bankruptcies,  or repossessions, who are also amazed when they have their credit pulled and find it is rated poorly and they’re unable to secure a mortgage.

You should always know your credit score. Not only does it give you a sense of accomplishment when you see it go higher, but it will also alert you if something is happening that you’re not aware of, such as identity theft or erroneous reporting.  There are various companies online that will allow you to check your score and some credit card companies also offer it.

Just be sure you’re looking at your FICO score; as this is what the majority of lenders/creditors will be looking at.  FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation which created the system back in 1960.  In order to even have a FICO score, you have to have an account of some type, whether revolving (credit card)  or a set monthly installment (car loan) and it needs to have been reported to the credit bureau for at least six months.

People are often under the impression that paying off a card is a good way to raise your credit score – – Nope! Or that they should close an account to raise it – – No Sir! Paying down a credit card and maintaining it to around a 30% balance will raise your score more than paying it off. Also, the longer an account is open, the longer your history is and that is also advantageous.

It does not have to be a mystery. Keep in mind these simple steps:

  1. Paying your credit accounts on time has the more significant impact on your credit score.
  2. Don’t use more than 30% of your available credit on any one card – if you do, be sure to pay it down to that 30% at the end of that billing month.
  3. Don’t close out all your old accounts. Having an account open for a long period of time scores you credit score benefits.
  4. Use more than one type of credit, combining installment and revolving. Be sure you don’t get carried away. If you can’t pay it off in 30 days (revolving) you probably shouldn’t purchase it.

Most lenders require a credit score of 640 in order to purchase a home; though there are a few who have programs for scores less than that. It is pretty amazing though, because at 640 you’re only in the “Poor” rating for credit.  If you want to secure a lower interest rate on a home, increasing your credit score is a great way to do that.

A simple way to look at it is this: Bad = 550 & below/ Poor 550-649/ Fair 650-699/ Good 700-749/Excellent 750+

If you have questions about mortgages and/or credit scores, please feel free to contact me. I work with some great lenders who are willing to help you raise that credit score and create a plan specifically for you. Purchasing a house is a great investment. Don’t get sidelined because of a surprise or non-existent credit score.