How to Rebuild Your Credit to Buy a Home

What actually moves a credit score

1. Payment history. One recent late payment can cost more than any other single item. Set up autopay on every account.
2. Credit utilization. The share of your card limits you are using. Lower is better; many people see gains below 30%, and more below 10%.
3. Collections and charge-offs. How you handle them matters. Paying the wrong one the wrong way can backfire, so ask before you pay.
4. Errors. Wrong balances, accounts that aren't yours and duplicate collections are common.
5. Age and mix of accounts. Keep your oldest accounts open.

Our step-by-step approach

1. We pull and read your full report with you, line by line.
2. We show you which accounts are hurting you most.
3. We prescribe the order: which balances to pay, by how much, and when.
4. When the changes post, we can request an updated score through our credit vendor (a "rapid rescore") instead of waiting for the next monthly update.

What not to do while rebuilding

• Don't close old credit cards
• Don't open new cards or finance a car or furniture
• Don't pay off old collections before asking us
• Don't pay anyone who promises to "erase" accurate negative items

Check your reports for free

You can get your credit reports from all three bureaus free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site. Dispute errors directly with the bureau that shows them.

We provide credit guidance to help you qualify for a mortgage at no charge. We are a mortgage lender, not a credit repair or credit services company.

Common questions

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