Articles Tagged With: Credit Reports

April 11, 2019

First-Time Refinance Advice

Buying your first home with an FHA loan means, for some borrowers, the need to think about a first-time refinance later down the line. What do first-time home owners need to know about refinance loans and their FHA loan options? Decide Ahead Of Time On Your Goals For The Refinance Loan FHA refinance loans can help you do a number of things depending on the need for the loan. For example, you may wish to do repairs or upgrades in the home, and for that purpose an FHA 203(k) rehabilitation loan is an excellent option to pursue. Rehab loans allow you to simultaneously refinance and repair or upgrade the house with approved projects, but if you are looking for cash back to use in any way you see fit, the | more...

November 21, 2018

FHA Home Loans And Your Holiday Debt

By Joe Wallace

Are you considering an FHA home loan in 2019? Even as shoppers nationwide are preparing for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, some are being tempted by credit card offers to help pay for the gift-giving in December. But if you need a home loan in 2019, Christmas shopping season should be more carefully thought out for several reasons. It’s generally advised not to open new lines of credit in the planning stages leading up to your FHA loan application. Whether you need to refinance a home loan, get a new mortgage for your dream home, or apply for fund to repair your property using an FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation loan, you will need to maintain and pay down your existing lines of credit and avoid opening new | more...

October 15, 2018

FHA Home Loans And Your Free Credit Report

By Joe Wallace

There is a great deal of advice about preparing for a home loan application. If you are considering an FHA mortgage, FHA refinance loan, or even a reverse mortgage, you will need to take time to prepare for your FHA loan before filling out the application paperwork. Part of that preparation involves pulling your credit report to make sure there is no identity theft, inaccurate information, etc. But how do you get copies of your credit report? All consumers are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months. This report is available from each of the three credit reporting agencies; Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. The government consumer watchdog agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), advises borrowers to apply for these credit reports via AnnualCreditReport.com. You are entitled to | more...

October 5, 2018

Five Credit Areas That Affect FHA Loan Approval

By Joe Wallace

There are many areas that can affect the lender’s decision to approve or deny an FHA home loan application. Do you know what these important issues mean and how they can affect millennial home buyers or anyone else examining their affordable housing needs? #5 FHA Home Loan Approval And Your FICO Scores Your FICO score may be well within the FHA minimums for loan approval or even maximum financing, but do you know what the participating FHA lender’s FICO score requirements might be above the FHA minimum? You may find that the FHA loan program’s minimum 580 FICO score for the lowest possible down payment is lower than the FHA lender’s requirements. Check with the lender to see what is required in this area for a better idea of what | more...

October 2, 2018

FHA Loan Applications And Your Credit Report

By Bruce Reichstein

When you apply for an FHA mortgage, your lender is required to check your FICO scores and credit history. But do you know what the lender must gather to determine whether or not to approve your mortgage loan? This process is a mystery to some home buyers and knowing what’s involved can help you plan for your mortgage loan long before you ever contact a lender. FHA Loan Requirements For Checking Credit Scores And Credit History The rules that govern this process are found in HUD 4000.1, the FHA Single-Family Loan handbook. It instructs the lender to use a traditional credit report whenever possible-some borrowers may have little to no credit history and a non-traditional credit report may be needed. But in cases where the lender is able to obtain | more...

August 8, 2018

Need To Fix Your Credit Before Your FHA Home Loan?

By Joe Wallace

Do you need to work on your credit before applying for an FHA home loan? If you are worried that your FICO scores or credit history might not be good enough to be approved for a home loan, keep reading. Prepare For Your FHA Home Loan Application As Early As Possible One of the most important things you can do to start working on credit repair or just getting ready for the home loan in general is to start looking at your credit reports as early as possible. It will take time to improve a credit rating and credit history-do not delay! The earlier you start working on your credit issues, the better off you will be at loan application time. Work On Your Credit Yourself Yes, you can pay | more...

July 11, 2018

What You Need To Know About FHA Loan Applications And Loan Approval

By Joe Wallace

What should you know about FHA home loan applications and FHA loan approval? Before your home loan gets final approval from the underwriter, it will go through a series of processes including the credit check, appraisal, employment verification, and much more. But FHA home loan approval depends on more than one set of standards, which makes these check and approval processes more complex. To approve your loan, the lender must answer a variety of questions about the borrower’s ability to afford the loan. FHA Loan Approval Questions Your Lender Must Answer There are several areas the lender must have answers in to give you final loan approval: What is the borrower’s current or expected income? What kind of assets does the FHA loan applicant have? What is the FHA borrower’s | more...

December 21, 2017

What Credit Score Do I Need To Get A Home Loan?

By Bruce Reichstein

What credit score do I need to get a home loan? That is a question many FHA loan applicants ask, and the answer involves both FHA loan rules in HUD 4000.1 (the FHA loan handbook) and lender requirements. What You Should Know About FHA Loan Standards FHA loan rules for credit and FICO scores are minimum requirements, but your participating FHA lender may have additional requirements. Always remember that FHA loan rules provide the baseline requirements, but the lender may have higher FICO score and credit history standards. What we’re discussing here are the FHA rules, lender requirements will vary. The FHA “Minimum Decision Credit Score” (MDCS) HUD 4000.1 defines the FHA MDCS as follows: “The Minimum Decision Credit Score (MDCS) refers to the credit score reported on the Borrower’s | more...

November 15, 2017

Do The Same FHA Loan Requirements Apply To All Borrowers? Part Two

By Bruce Reichstein

Do the same FHA loan requirements apply to all borrowers? We have been examining that question in recent posts. FHA home loan rules were written to accommodate a variety of circumstances. There’s no true “one size fits all” home loan, so there are different regulations for different situations. The basic standards apply to all, but there are situational factors where some rules apply to certain borrowers that won’t apply to others. But what does this mean? FHA FICO Score Requirements Borrowers with qualifying FICO scores are eligible for maximum financing, which would include a minimum 3.5% down payment based on the adjusted value of the property. But the rules change for those who do not have FICO scores that meet the minimum requirement. Those with FICO scores below 580 will | more...

October 12, 2017

Am I Eligible For An FHA Loan Even Though I Have Had Credit Problems?

By Bruce Reichstein

Am I eligible for an FHA loan even though I have had credit problems? Borrowers often worry their credit scores or credit history aren’t good enough to qualify for an FHA mortgage loan, but what is the reality? What do FHA loan rules say about credit and your ability to borrow? FHA Loans For Borrowers After Bankruptcy FHA home loans are possible for those who have a bankruptcy on their credit history, but there is a mandatory waiting period and the duration of that wait depends on the nature of your filing. The mandatory waiting period begins when the bankruptcy is discharged, NOT when it is initially filed. FHA Loans For Borrowers After Foreclosure, Deed-In-Lieu Of Foreclosre, Or Short Sale Borrowers with foreclosure or short sale activity on their credit | more...