Mortgage Pre-Approval, Fort Knox KY, Vine Grove Kentucky, Radcliff, E-Town, Meade County
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Repair Your Credit Before Applying for a Mortgage so you can buy that great piece of Elizabethtown KY Real Estate
Financial mistakes when you are young and inexperienced can come back to haunt you when it’s time to apply for an Elizabethtown KY mortgage. Often, no matter how steady your income, you will have trouble finding a lender willing to consider you for a loan if your credit is bad. Unfortunately, one minor mistake can cause your credit score to take a major hit, and it can take a long time for your score to rebound enough to make you appealing to a lender. If you are anxious to take out a home loan in the near future, however, there are a few things you can do to repair your credit now (or at least get it back on the right track). Here are some of the most important steps you need to take.
Gather All Your Credit Reports – Lenders turn to credit bureaus to find out about your credit history, and they use this information to decide whether you meet the qualifications for a loan. Luckily, you can check out your credit reports from all three of the major credit bureaus—TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax—in order to find out exactly what information the bank is looking at. Every one of these reports will be slightly different, and it’s impossible to know which bureau’s report your lender will be looking at, so it’s important for you to order all three. You should also find out your FICO credit score, which is the number that most lenders trust when getting a general overview of your creditworthiness.
Find and Dispute Errors – Comb through each of your credit reports line by line, and find any errors. Sometimes, mistakes will be minor, but other times, one report might show that you made a late payment when you really didn’t (or some other, similar error). Even one late payment can wreck your credit score and significantly lower your chances at getting a loan. If you find something wrong, file a dispute with the credit bureau in question immediately. Errors can often be quickly resolved once the agency gets in contact with your bank or card issuer. If these sorts of mistakes are to blame for your credit woes, then you will likely have no problem qualifying after they are solved.
Pay Off Delinquent Accounts – Few things make more of a blemish on your credit report than an account that is still delinquent. It’s essential that you find a way to bring all of your accounts back up to date in order to have a chance at getting a mortgage. Potential accounts that could be hurting your score include overdue credit cards, missed loan payments, and/or bills that have been sent to a collections agency.
Restore Lender Trust – Depending how deep a hole you dug yourself with your credit problems, it can take a while to make potential lenders trust you again. Make sure you pay all of your bills on time for 6 months to a year before you consider applying for a mortgage. Establishing a pattern of dependability is essential moving forward, and the longer you go without any delinquencies, the more appealing you will become.
Avoid New Credit – As you prepare to apply for a mortgage, your goal should be to decrease your debt-to-income ratio. Rather than continuing to charge items to your credit cards or financing major purchases, you should try to pay for your daily expenses in cash and pay down the debts you already have.
