Improvements to Credit Scoring

Earlier this year, the three major credit bureaus (aka “credit reporting agencies” or “CRAs”), Experian, Equifax and Transunion, came to a settlement with the New York Attorney General impacting credit reporting. It is anticipated that the settlement will help some consumers improve their scores by 10-40 points. [Read more…]

Not so good karma for your credit?

I just received an email from a popular credit reporting service suggesting that I open new accounts.

Carma

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What’s trending? How about your credit report.

2014-06-20_0758Fannie Mae is introducing a new format for credit reports called “trending credit data”.  Typically a credit report shows more of a snapshot of what someone’s credit looks like today with late payments as a summary, more or less. Fannie Mae’s “trending” report will actually show a detailed 24 month history of each payment and the balance of that account for every month for the last 24 months. [Read more…]

How many times will your credit be pulled during a mortgage transaction?

creditThe main reason why I write at Mortgage Porter, is to try to answer questions about the mortgage process. A lot of my “content” comes from questions that my clients (people I’m helping to get preapproved to buy a home or refinance a home).

Recently, one of my clients asked me:

“How many times will my credit needs to be pulled during the whole process from preapproval to closing?” [Read more…]

The difference between your internet credit score and what a mortgage company will use

credit scoreI am taking advantage of the current low mortgage rates and refinancing! I fired up Credit Karma and was surprised to see that my score had dipped. My bank also provides my credit score, which was in line with what Credit Karma was providing – just one point under 720. UGH!!! Apparently, I had used one of my credit cards a little more than I should have over the holidays for some home improvements. One digit in your credit score can make a significant difference in your mortgage interest rate and the cost associated for the rate.

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Establishing Credit Scores

2014-06-20_0758If you’re a reader of Mortgage Porter, you probably know that I just returned from a long weekend to Nashville to visit my son and check out his new apartment. Getting started on your own is an important part of your life and it helps to have established credit. This is especially true if you plan to buy a home as most lender will require that you have three to four established accounts. The credit lines you establish (and other credit events) will determine what your credit scores are.

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Are you buying a new home? WAIT to buy new furniture!

iStock_000008143756_MediumI have been working with a couple of clients who are buying homes and who’ve recently asked if it’s okay for them to buy furniture before closing on their new home. It must be all the “Fourth of July blow-out” sales going on that’s causing this question to come up recently.

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I know my credit score

creditRecently my husband and I considered buying an investment home in West Seattle. We began the preapproval process so that we could present an offer with a bona fide preapproval letter. We gathered our W2s, tax returns, bank statements and paystubs…and had our credit report pulled.

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