Your credit score defines you financially. Establishing and maintaining good credit will make your life infinitely easier. To establish a good credit score you must make your payments on time and in full every month. You can also improve your credit score by minimizing your debt. Learn more here about your credit score and what it means for you.
Who Has An 850 Credit Score And How Do You Get One?
Credit scores, on the scale assigned by FICO, range from 300 to 850. Who has an 850 credit score and what canyou do to get one? Less than 1 percent of the population has a credit score above 800, so it's very unlikely you will have an 850 credit score. However, if your credit score is above 720, you will probably still receive the best rates. Watch more credit and identity theft videos from Expert Real Estate Tips to learn how to raise your credit score.
Credit Card Consolidation Impacts Credit Score
Does it hurt your credit score if you close credit card accounts? Credit bureaus monitor how long you've had each credit card in determining your credit score so closing a long-held credit card could have a negative impact. But if you're generally responsible with your credit cards by paying them off every month and thus not carrying a balance your credit score may not drop significantly. It's important to know your credit score when you're applying for a home loan.
How Credit Scores Impact Mortgage Applications
How do credit scores impact mortgage applications? Credit scores measure debt and your ability to pay back loans. Especially today, your credit score will determine your mortgage and interest rate. What credit score should you have and how can you improve your credit score and get the best interest rate for your mortgage? Watch this Expert Real Estate Tips segment for information on credit scores, mortgage applications, and how to improve your credit score and credit history.
Credit Card Debt Balance Transfer
If you currently have a credit card with debt and a high interest rate, consider transferring the balance to a lower-interest credit card. Transferring your credit card debt will help you pay off your debt quicker, improve your credit history and increase your credit score. But remember to double-check that your entire balance has been completely cleared after transferring your credit card debt to a new card.
Don’t Close Credit Card And Protect Credit Score
Closing a long-held credit card can damage your credit score. Is there a way to close a credit card account without it affecting your credit score or credit history? One option may be to negotiate with the credit card company to switch the account number to a credit card without an annual fee.
Condo Owner Shares Building With Renters
More and more condo owners find themselves in a situation where they're sharing a building with renters. In some cases, developers convert apartments into condos and in years past they could sell the units. Selling condos has become more difficult during the credit crisis. What can a condo owner do when he can no longer afford to make payments and the lender won't work with him? His options include recourse against the lender or seller and working with a new lender to stay in the condo.
Real Estate Market: Improvement Through Employment, Refinancing, And Avoiding Foreclosure
What steps can we take with the economy to improve the real estate market? Keeping people employed, changing refinancing rules and encouraging people to stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure are some possibilities to improve the real estate market. If you have suggestions for how to improve the real estate market, send Ilyce an email.
Seller Financing Risks Require Due Diligence
A home owner asks about offering seller financing on a home he's selling. He wants to know what's involved in seller financing and who to involve in the transaction. First he needs to assess whether a potential home buyer will make the home mortgage payments and what to do if the buyer later stops making payments. When a seller sells a home with seller financing it's as if the seller becomes a mortgage lender or bank. That means the seller may have to be willing to foreclose in an owner financing situation.
Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure Affects Credit Score
A landlord wants to sell her investment property and has trouble. While the property is rented, the rent does not cover the mortgage. The landlord wants to know the effect of using a deed in lieu of foreclosure on her credit score. She called the credit bureaus but could not get a direct answer. Ilyce says that the effect of a deed in lieu of foreclosure on a credit score depends on the individual because each person has different credit factors.