1. Review And Understand Any Derogatory Marks On Your Credit Report

A credit report will inform you of the credit score is using the three main credit agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. If the score is below 620, you should review the details of your credit report to find out what you can do to improve your score.

If you’ve got “derogatory marks” such as payment delays or missed payments that could negatively affect your credit score. Luckily, the marks are deleted from your credit report after a specific period of time — typically about seven years. So should you have negative credit reports, but you’re to the end of that period, you might have the chance to obtain an increase in your credit score by simply keeping it in the past.

There’s also the possibility that an error on your credit report could be causing a lower score. If you find something that appears to be wrong for example, an account that you aren’t familiar with Contact one of the credit bureaus to get the error rectified follow these instructions provided by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

2. Don’t Open New Credit Accounts

Every time you start a new credit account, for example, an auto loan or a personal loan, or even a credit card, a credit inquiry is conducted. The hard inquiries result in an occasional reduction within the credit score. Therefore, if you are able, stick with the current credit accounts that you have opened within the next one or two years before you apply for a mortgage.

3. Work Toward Paying Off Other Debts

A borrower’s ratio of debt-to-income (DTI) is as crucial in determining their credit score when determining the kind of loan they are eligible for. If your credit score is lower than average an excellent DTI ratio could reduce your credit risk to the mortgage lender. Concentrating on the process of paying off debts not just immediately boosts your DTI ratio and improves your credit score over the long term by reducing the overall credit utilization percentage. Furthermore, every timely payment you make is reflected positively in credit reports. credit report.

4. Keep Saving For Your Down Payment

While you don’t need to be able to pay an entire 20% down payment for a house, however, the closer you reach that amount the better — particularly when your credit score isn’t as good. As with decreasing the DTI ratio, showing your ability to save a substantial amount of cash can increase the confidence of lenders in your capacity to make payments. Apply For Pre-Qualification And/Or Pre-Approval

The pre-qualification process and the pre-approval procedure for the home loan allow potential borrowers the chance to talk to an advisor to discuss what type of mortgage they might be eligible for. Your advisor can provide information on what you can do now to increase your chances of being eligible for the highest loan amount or more favorable terms, like improving the value of your credit score.

6. Find A Trusted Lender To Help You Through The Process

It’s crucial to locate an institution you can are comfortable with, especially if you’re worried regarding the quality of your credit score. Companies like Newrez are focused on helping homeowners through the mortgage process and assisting them in understanding their choices based on their current situation in addition to their credit score. A Newrez loan adviser will spend time getting to know you and your circumstances to assist you towards the best path and help you find the best loan you can get.

How Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage Options

An individual’s FICO credit score tells lenders how accountable the person has been in the past with respect to paying on time and managing the burden of debt. The greater the person’s credit score is, the lower their interest rate is likely to be since the person is considered less risky to the lender.

Although the person’s FICO score can affect the likelihood of getting a loan and is a factor in determining the rates of interest, it’s far from the sole element. Alongside your credit scores, lending institutions consider an overall view of the total debt amount and assets, as well as savings and earnings.

In assessing someone’s credit rating, the lender takes into account the kind of loan that the potential borrower is eligible for as well as the interest rates that are available in accordance with their credit score. This is especially true when you’re applying for a federally-backed loan with no or lower down-payment, for example, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) loans, and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. Since these loans permit consumers to make a down payment of three percent or less (instead of the traditional 5-20 percent) the lenders will take a closer look at their credit scores in addition to your debt-to-income (DTI) proportion to determine the amount of a loan you’re eligible for.

What Is A ‘Good’ Credit Score When Applying For A Mortgage?

In order to get a conventional loan, applicants must be able to show a credit score of at least 620 in order to be approved. The typical score for mortgages that are successful is around 720. If you score lower be assured that a score that is lower than 620 will not necessarily exclude you from obtaining the mortgage loan.

If you are working with a mortgage company, an experienced loan advisor will help you comprehend all possibilities you be able to avail in light of the credit score. Before speaking with an advisor, you can make use of the Newrez online house loan amount estimator tool to estimate some figures. With just minutes you’ll be able to get an idea of the amount of a loan you could be eligible for, based on the current amount of debt you pay and earnings.