#!Title=[Credit [Report|Score] Checkup for [Home buying|Buying a [home|house]] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]| [Raising|Raise] your FICO Score for [home buying|home ownership] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]|[Raise|Increase|Improve|Know] your [FICO|Credit] score [to Buy|for Buying] your first [home|house|place] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]] - <%Phone%> #!Description=[<%CompanyName%> is your source for [home buying|buying a [house|place|home|property]|purchasing a [house|place|home|property]] in [<%City%>|<%City%><%FullState%>|<%County%> County]| <%CompanyName%> can help you [buy|finance] a [house|place|home|property] with the [best lender for you|best mortgage rate|right bank for you|right lender] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]| [Purchase|Buy] your [new|first] [house|place|home|property]|[Success steps to|Steps to successfully] [securing|purchasing|buying] your first [house|place|home|property] [with better credit|ways to increase your credit score|by building your credit|because you've got the tools to raise your FICO score]|<%CompanyName%> can help you [get|purchase|buy your] next [home|place|property|house] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]|[Improve|Raise] your [FICO|credit] score and buy [a new|your first] [house|place|home|property] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County]]. #!Keywords=Real Estate Agent, <%City%>, <%FullState%>, <%County%>, FICO, Credit score, buying a house, buying a home, how do i buy a house, what does my credit score have to be to buy a house, what does my FICO score have to be to buy a house, home loans, financing a home, first time buyers, first time home buyers, buying your next house, buying your next home, i want to buy another house, raising my credit score, improving my credit to buy a house, better FICO score for a house #!Filename=FICO #!TemplateName=FICO #!CreditRepair1=

[Correct your credit report|Ensure that your credit history is correct]. If you [discover|find] [incorrect items|mistakes] on your credit report, [contact|write to] the bureau [asking|requesting] that the item be removed. If you have a common name or the same name as a family member, you'll want to [give extra care|pay extra attention] to make sure the activity reported is correct.

#!CreditRepair2=

[Even out your debt|Spread your debt around]. At first, this doesn't [seem|sound] like a good idea. But, you [want to avoid of having|steer clear of having|don't want to have] one card that is [[holding|at] the maximum|at the limit|maxed out] and have [your remaining cards|the rest of your cards] at a zero balance. It's better to have each of your cards [at [an even|a lower|a smaller] balance |at about [20|25|30|less than 40]% of their credit limit] than to have [the majority|all|the most|the bulk] of your debt [taking up the balance|sitting on|transferred to] [a single|one] card.

#!CreditRepair3=

[[Retail|Store|Chain Store|Department Store] cards and [gas|gas station|service station] cards|Apply for [gas|gas station|service station] cards or [retail|store|chain store|department store] credit]. For those who have [non-existent|no] credit or [below average|low|less-than-stellar] credit, [retail|store|chain store|department store] credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to [[get|repair|obtain|improve] credit|[begin|start|establish] your credit history], increase your [spending|credit] limits and [keep up your payments|have a solid payment history|stay on top of your payments], which will raise your [credit|FICO score]. [Simply|Just] [avoid|beware of] [holding|carrying|keeping|charging|maintaining] a [high|large|too-high| ] balance for [more than a couple of [billing cycles|two|months]|too long] because these types of cards [normally|more than likely|usually|traditionally] have a [larger|steeper|higher|surprisingly high|surprising] interest rate.

#!CreditRepair4=

[Keep your cards active|Use your credit|Don't let your cards get dusty|Keep your cards in rotation]. [Whether you're just getting started with credit, or if you've got older cards|Whether you have older cards, or are just getting started with credit], [be sure to |]use your cards [to make sure|so that] your accounts [maintain an active status|stay active]. But, [be sure to|make sure you| ] pay them off in [one or two|no more than two or three] payments.

#!CreditRepair5=

[Stay on top of payments|Keep up with payments|Pay on time]. [How often you're late with payments greatly affects your credit score|Payment history is a [huge|big] factor in your [FICO|credit] score|Your [credit|FICO] score plummets with [each|every] account that goes to collections|Late payments [hurt|kill] your [credit history|[FICO|credit] score]|Delinquent payments [instantly|drastically] [drop|lower] your credit score]. It's [where|one of the reasons] people who have recently [experienced job loss|been unemployed] see the biggest [hit|dip] in their credit score. Yes, it takes longer to [rebuild|build up|restore] your credit [with payment history|this way], but it's the [most reliable|surest] way to [prove|show] that you're [responsible enough to|able to] make payments to a [bank|lender].

#!Score1=

Payment History - [Do you pay your bills on time [[each|every] month| ]|How many late payments have you made|How [many [times|months]|often] do you make late payments]?

#!Score2=

Credit to Debt Ratio - How much do you owe versus [your available credit|how much credit you have available]?

#!Score3=

Credit Inquiries - [Do you have too many open accounts|How many times has your credit history been accessed by someone other than you]?

#!Score4=

Types of Credit - Do you have a healthy mix of [loans and credit cards|credit cards and loans]?

[Scoring Your Credit - How's Your [Credit Score|FICO?]|Scoring Your [Credit|FICO]|[Raising|Improving|Increasing] Your FICO Score for [Home Ownership|Home Buying|Home buyers]|[Tips on [Raising|Improving|Increasing]|Ways to [Raise|Improve|Increase]] Your FICO Score for Home Buying|How's Your [Credit|Score|FICO]?|FICO - The First Step to [Home Buying|Owning|Home Ownership]|[First-Time Buyer's|Home buyer's] Guide to Better Credit]

[[[Most people assume|You might think] that the home buying process starts|The [home buying process|road to home ownership] doesn't start] with getting pre-approved [by a lender|for a loan] or with choosing a real estate agent|Choosing a lender isn't the first step in becoming a homeowner]. [The [quality|content] of your wallet [begins|starts] the home buying process|In reality, the home buying process [starts and ends|begins and ends|starts|begins] with your finances]. [[Without [a reasonable|an acceptable|an above average] [credit|FICO] score, [purchasing|buying|entering into a loan for] a house is [more difficult|harder] and|[Putting back|Saving] your money for a down payment is [a good idea|great], but if you [lack|don't have] [a strong|an acceptable] credit score to [reinforce it|back it up]], you could [end up|find yourself] renting [longer than you expected|for another couple of years] in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County] until [your score improves|you [improve|build|raise] your score|your FICO score is acceptable].|To [make your goal of homeownership realized|propel your dreams of homeownership forward|become a homeowner|realize your goal of owning a home], [considering your credit score is a must|you must consider your FICO score] along with the type of [mortgage loan|loan|lender] for which you'll qualify in [<%City%>|<%City%>, <%FullState%>|<%County%> County].]

[A FICO score is a [collection|review] of your years of credit history based on [an instrument|a model] developed by Fair Isaac and Company|The Fair Isaac Company [bases|calculates] your FICO score on the summary of your [complete|total] credit history]. [Most people [traditionally|usually] have a score of [650|600], but scores [are tiered|range] from 300 to 850|The score ranges from 300 to 850, with [the majority of|most] people [normally|traditionally] having a score of [650|600]]. [[In recent years|With the change in the economy|Since we've experienced an economic downturn], however, some [borrowers|people] have seen their score [lowered|drop dramatically|drop by hundreds of points] [because of|as a result of| after] [unemployment|job loss|underemployment|loss of employment], [charged off|delinquent|closed] credit card accounts, or credit card accounts [that were closed because they don't carry a balance|closed by the lender due to inactivity|terminated because the card didn't carry a high balance]|[Job loss has been common in the last few years, but|Even though more people these days are experiencing job loss and delinquent credit cards,] FICO scores aren't necessarily adjusted "on a curve." A low score is [just that and|a low score and that] often means you can't get [a loan|a decent interest rate|credit|credit extended to you [via|in the form of] a mortgage loan]]. Some of the [pieces|factors] in [reviewing|deciding|summing up|calculating|determining] your FICO score [include|are]:

[<%Score1%><%Score2%><%Score3%><%Score4%>| <%Score2%><%Score3%><%Score4%><%Score1%>| <%Score3%><%Score4%><%Score1%><%Score2%>| <%Score4%><%Score1%><%Score2%><%Score3%>]

[

[In reviewing your credit history|When you pull your credit report], you'll [find|discover|see] that you actually have three reports. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - three of the major credit reporting agencies - use a slightly different [models|systems] to [determine|calculate] your credit rating. FICO is used by Experian. Equifax's model is called BEACON and TransUnion uses EMPIRICA. [You have a credit score with [all|each|all three] of the bureaus|[As a result,|Because of this,|This means] you have three scores, one for each [scoring model|bureau]].

| ]

[Lenders want to [ensure|be positive|make sure] that [allowing|giving] you a loan [is a safe move|isn't a risk for them]|When you apply for a mortgage or any other loan, lenders want to make sure that extending a loan to you isn't a [risk|problem]]. Your [FICO|credit] score gives lenders [insight into|view of] what type of borrower [you'll be|you'd be|you are] [based solely on|solely because of] your credit history. [You'll need a score of at least [700|740] to get a [decent|acceptable|satisfactory] interest rate|Because of the shift in the economy, most home buyers should have scores in the range of [700|740] or higher to get [a decent|an acceptable|a satisfactory] interest rate]. [[You'll still|You can] [get approved|qualify] for a [mortgage|loan|mortgage loan] with a lower score|If your score is [less than that|lower], you can still qualify for a loan], but the interest [accrued|paid|accumulated] [over the life of the loan|over time|in the long run] could be more than double [that|the amount] of [an individual|someone] [having|with] a [better|higher|stronger|superior|near perfect] [FICO|credit] score.

	[[Getting your credit in order|Staying on top of your FICO score|Improving your [credit|credit score|FICO|FICO score]] is the [first step in|best way to ease into] [buying|purchasing|owning] a home|We're used to working with all [tiers|levels] of [FICO scores|credit [scores|history]]]. [Contact us|Call us at <%Phone%>] and we can help you get on the right track to the home of your dreams.

[How do you [[obtain|get] a [better|higher|stronger]|boost your credit] score?|You want [a higher|a better|a stronger|an improved] score, but how do you get [it|there]?|There are [methods|plans|strategies|ways] to [increase|improve|boost|raise] your score.] [Building|Improving] your FICO score takes time. At <%CompanyName%>, we know it's [hard|rare|difficult] to make a [significant stride|large-scale|significant] change in your [FICO score|credit score|number] with [small changes|quick fixes], but your score can improve in a [year|year or two|few years] by [keeping tabs|monitoring] your credit report and by [using credit extended to you to raise your score, instead of ruin it|using your credit wisely|wisely using credit]. The [best way to do this|most important thing] is to know your FICO score. [Here are some [ways you can|methods to] improve your credit score|You'll improve your credit score by using these [tips|pointers|helpful hints]]:

[ | | | ] [<%CreditRepair1%><%CreditRepair2%><%CreditRepair3%><%CreditRepair4%><%CreditRepair5%>| <%CreditRepair2%><%CreditRepair3%><%CreditRepair4%><%CreditRepair5%><%CreditRepair1%>| <%CreditRepair3%><%CreditRepair4%><%CreditRepair5%><%CreditRepair1%><%CreditRepair2%>| <%CreditRepair4%><%CreditRepair5%><%CreditRepair1%><%CreditRepair2%><%CreditRepair3%>| <%CreditRepair5%><%CreditRepair1%><%CreditRepair2%><%CreditRepair3%><%CreditRepair4%>]

[Knowing the [methods you can use|ways you can] [raise|build|improve] your [FICO|credit] score, [you're one step closer to|you can move toward] becoming a homeowner|Now that [you know more|you're [better|more] informed] about credit reporting, you'll be able to successfully take the first [steps to homeownership|step in owning a home], and that is improving your FICO score]. [Remember|Keep in mind|Know] that when [you're ready|it's time] to apply for a loan to purchase a [house|home], you'll want to keep your [applications|credit inquiries|lender applications] within a two-week window to avoid [adverse effects|a negative mark on|damaging] your credit score. With the help of <%CompanyName%>, [shopping for a mortgage|the loan application process|the loan process] [can be a stress-free experience|is sure to go more smoothly] so you, too, can [become a homeowner|achieve home ownership].

[Learn more about FICO scores at|Get more information by visiting|To learn more, visit] www.myFICO.com, Fair Isaac's informational site and [review your credit history for free at|you can review all of your credit reports for free each year at|once per year, for free, you can review all three of your credit reports at] www.annualcreditreport.com. And, for a small payment, you can get your FICO score from each bureau on their websites: www.equifax.com, www.experian.com and www.transunion.com.

At <%CompanyName%> we [don't judge you based on your|work with all [tiers|levels] of] [FICO scores|credit|credit scores|credit history] and can help you [step|get back|settle] into home ownership with the [best|right] [mortgage lender|lending insitution|lender] for you. E-mail us at <%Email%> or call <%Phone%> for [additional|more] information.