Homebuying Tips on Credit and Credit Scores

Carolyn Warren

For many years, it seemed as if anyone could get a credit—and they did. Well, we know how that turned out! In the fall of 2008, that house of cards came crashing down. Today, credit is king. What do you need to know about good credit in the post-2008 credit era?

When you apply for a home loan—whether it’s to purchase a property or to refinance—the first thing that gets checked is your credit score. 99 percent of the time, if you don’t pass the creditworthiness test right up front, your loan application will not get in front of an underwriter’s eyes. (Underwriters are the people who approve and deny loans.) You might say that if you have a low score, you’re setting yourself up to get ripped ...