realestatetalks

Credit is essential to acquiring a home, car, etc. especially if you do not have cash to purchase the item you desire or need.  It is equally as important to understand how credit can influence your ability to purchase.    Let’s examine.

The bank institutions Advantage Mortgage Lending use FICO score to determine the risk factor that will be assigned to your loan.  FICO is an acronym that stands for Fair Isaac Corporation.  Your FICO is determined by a mathematical model to determine the credit risk associated with your payment history, your level of debt, type of credit used, length of credit history, and any new credit that you may have.

According to Advantage Mortgage Lending your FICO credit scores are determine by the following levels:

• 760 to 850 (Excellent)
• 700 to 759 (Very Good)
• 660 to 699 (Good)
• 620 to 659 (Good)
• 580 to 619 (Average)
• 500 to 579 (Below Average)
• Below 500 (Poor/High Risk)

Understanding your credit is crucial in regaining your credit worthiness if your credit is below average.  There are several factors that influence your credit in a negative way that you can control.

One factor that influences your credit in a negative way is too many inquiries on your credit.  Avoid opening several credit cards all at once.  In other words, a lot of inquiries influence your credit in a negative way.

Another factor that influences your credit in a negative way is maxing out your credit cards.  It is recommended to have all card balances under 35% of the total credit limit available.  For example, if you have a credit limit of $2,000 per card, the balance carried on each card must be less than $700.00. 

Still yet another factor that influences your credit in a negative way is having collections on your credit. 

All of the above does not exclude you from getting a home or refinancing a home, but it does put your loan at a higher risk; and therefore, you will pay a higher application fee and interest rate.   It is recommended that before you accept a higher interest rate to do some investigation to ensure that the loan will help you reach your goal of obtaining “financial freedom” and is affordable for you.

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