9 Steps to a Finding The Best Mortgage for You – Step 1: Checking Your Credit

October 23, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Blog 

When buying a home, one of the first things you should do is check your credit report and score. Your credit score is probably the most important piece of information a lender considers when deciding on your interest rate, so you want to be sure that everything on your credit report is correct. Mistakes can hurt your credit score, increasing your rate and monthly payment.

Your report and score
The credit bureaus gather information on your credit payment history, which forms the basis of your credit report. The information they compile includes your current address and past addresses; the amount of debt you carry, what kind of debt it is, the lenders’ names, and your debt payment history; how often credit report inquiries are made; and your history of liens and bankruptcies.

The bureaus use that information to compute a credit score. Your score is a number between 300 and 850, with 850 being the best credit score and 300 the worst. Lenders use your credit score as a general indicator of your creditworthiness, so if your credit score is low, you might be charged higher interest rates.

Check your credit for free
You can get your credit report for free; however most credit scoring agencies make you pay for your score. By law, every year, you can request a free report from any of the credit bureaus.

What if there are mistakes?
Mistakes do occur, especially for people with similar names or social security numbers. That’s why checking your report and score before you get a mortgage is important. If there is a mistake that could hurt your credit score, you’ll want plenty of time to get the error corrected. To correct an error, you need to write the credit bureau, describing the problem. The credit agency must investigate the items in question, usually within 30 days. Then they will send confirmation of the corrections.

Bad credit
If you discover that your credit report is accurate, but your credit score is low, you may want to reconsider buying a home. Instead, take a few months to improve your credit score by paying your bills on time and reducing your debt. Waiting also allows you more time to pull together a good size down payment. If you wait a few months for your score to increase, the result should be a better interest rate on your mortgage, which can save you a lot of money in the long run.

If you do decide to go ahead with buying a home even if your credit is less than perfect, it’s still important to work to rebuild your credit. Once your score improves, you can refinance your mortgage for a lower-interest loan, which could lower your monthly payments.

Chris Navi
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/9-steps-to-a-finding-the-best-mortgage-for-you–step-1-checking-your-credit-123036.html

Be Sociable, Share!

Tags:

  •  

    The Perks of Colon Cleansing

    As more and more people suffer from the effects of unhealthy lifestyles and unhealthy diets, colon cleanses have steadily risen in popularity. Our bodies really need help in getting rid of the toxins that it can store and colon cleansing isjust the ticket, cleaning up our insides in the process! A good colon cleanse prevents the onset of constipation, and stops it altogether should you be prone to getting one. Doctors recommend a diet rich in fiber alongside a colon cleanse, to get rid of toxins and fecal matter, lessening the possibility of constipation.

    A healthy body and digestive system is the greatest benefit one can get from colon cleanses. However, ones that we can also rejoice to is that of weight loss. With the colon being able to carry 30 pounds of fecal matter, a colon cleanse can easily get rid of most, if not all of them, resulting in what seems to be instant weight loss!

    Excellent Sleep Aid Remedies

    The build-up of stress from work, relationships and home life can actually affect our sleep patterns, making us prone to sleep deprivation and sleep disorders. To counter sleep deprivation, sleep aid remediesare being marketed left and right. Different treatments work for different people, with some insomniacs finding relief from warm milk or prescription sleeping pills and anything in between. Herbal infusions, herbal teas and soothing baths have also marked a significant difference for those suffering with sleep deprivation. Before you may start thinking that any sleep deprivation treatment may be ok, heed warning! Over the counter pills are not all good! Some can cause serious harm, so, as with anything, caution is always required!

    Nipping Menopause Symptoms in the Bud

    For most women, it's not really the menopause symptoms that bothers them, but it's the hot flashes and night sweats, conditions that can really cause shame, embarrassment and insecurity!

    Plenty of women have reported about the effectiveness of Hot Flash freedom, a natural and safe progesterone cream designed to counter hot flashes and night sweats! Most if not all, have claimed a marked improvement of there menopausal symptoms. Hot Flash Freedom can definitely bring you the relief you so desire! Why not follow her route and try out the product for yourself?!

    Searching for the Ideal Dentist

    Searching for the ideal dentist to call your own? Don't worry, they are more common than you think! I have been going to my Glastonbury Dentist for years and I have always found his services to be impeccable. Friends in Richmond equally recommend Richmond Dentist, Dr, Charles Martin! They tell me he is among the excellent Richmond Dentists out there! For Quincy residents, Dr. Matazarro is the Quincy dentist to go to. Lastly, Kauai residents are lucky to have Kauai Dentist , Dr. Clyde Ishida. He has had a great track record, giving people great smiles and along that, priceless confidence!

    Easing the Stress on Retirement

    As for finding their new homes, there is always Assisted Living Decatur arrangement. There are plenty of wonderful communities that offer this type of arrangement, and they specifically cater to retirees. In these communities, it is not uncommon to fund golf courses California synthetic turf golf course greens. Now, how's that for modern living?

    Business Finance OptionsTo Finance Your Dream Business

    Are you a budding entrepreneur? Do you know that you can make your business dreams come true, not unlike these Flower Essences. Your great idea can be the next great thing if you act right away! Consult with a firm that will present you with business finance options! They will be able to talk to you about ways to get the capital that you need. You can start working for yourself, without even having to get a bank loan! Call them up and discover your options!

    Tips to a Successful Online Business

    Running a successful online business is not a game of chance. It takes some serious internet savvy to get you the traffic that you need. First, it is advisable to consult a website designer to create an unforgettable yet functional site for you. Then, there's Search Engine Optimization! You need that to get your website up on the search engine rankings. Get these two techiques right, and you should be sitting pretty like this Environmental Services Company. They've solved the puzzle of great online marketing!

    Travel, Tips and Treasures

    During special occasions, instead of looking around aimlessly for the perfect gifts, why not give out tickets instead! Tickets to their favorite sports game or a Disney Guide are certified crowd pleasers! Wisconsin Dells, the home of water parks and other family destinations is a sure crowd pleaser.

    Sourcing SportsTickets

    Online is always a great place to search for leaf tickets, Ranger Tickets,Celtic Tickets, Kings Tickets, Redwings Tickets, Dodger Tickets, Magic Tickets, Heat Tickets, Angels Tickets, Chargers tickets, Leafs Tickets, Nationals Tickets, Cardinal Tickets, Packers Tickets, Giant Tickets, Seahawk Tickets, Raven Tickets, Clippers Tickets, Chief Tickets, Thunder Tickets, Redskin Tickets, Cowboys Tickets, Texans Tickets, Raider Tickets, Viking Tickets, Dolphin Tickets and 49ers Tickets! You can get tickets without even leaving your home!
    I have grown accustomed to going online to buy my Ranger Tickets.It just never fails!

    Never Underestimate the Value of Professional Water Damage Cleanup

    I didn’t realize how much damage water could do until a pipe blew at our little car repair business. None of the heavy equipment was damaged but we had to stop operations during the water damage cleanup. I didn’t even know where to start and we generally just tried to put everything where they were supposed to be and mop up as much of the water as possible. After a couple of days of trying to assess the damage and getting things back to normal, I finally decided to try looking up a number that I could call to help us out. I found a water damage Orlando restoration company to call and thankfully they had 24 hour service. They gave me a free telephone consultation and also threw in a free visual inspection. Calling them was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my business. They got the repair shop back to normal in a lot less time than I expected and we were back in business before I knew it. They were definitely professionals and handled the water damage quickly and thoroughly. I took them up on their insurance billing services too. Not having to deal with insurance too much was a real load off, and it gave me more time to work on the repair shop. I’m glad I found a number to call for this kind of emergency. I would suggest that you look for a restoration services company now and have the number handy when the time comes that you need it.