This had been the first time I had heard about it and I was sick for them and every other person whose identity was stolen (which was around 2 million people).  I immediately jumped on the local news website to read about this disaster, you can read about it here.  I guess this post kind of goes hand in hand with my post yesterday about your credit scores.

If you have secured a loan over the last year or so through Countrywide, I would definitely hop on the internet today and check your credit score.  It is much easier to clean up your credit in the beginning phases of identity theft than a few years down the road.

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Each of these things are definitely within your control and you can do some things to help make you a more attractive mortgage candidate.

Repair Your Credit & Increase Your Credit Score
Your credit score says everything about you and your ability to repay a loan issued to you and do it on time very single month. People with lower credit scores, can definitely expect a much higher interest rate tacked to their home loans, if your score is below 650 you will have a VERY difficult time getting a mortgage loan, if at all! However, those with scores above 800 will have the lowest interest rates and have no problem getting a loan.

Get A Higher Paying Job Within The Same Industry
If you are having a hard time getting qualified for a loan because you don’t make enough money to pay for the home that you are interested in, you should should start hunting for new job that pays more. One thing you need to take note of, lenders like to see a long, stead history of employment, so if you want to be considered for the loan after the job change, it needs to be in the same line of work. If you need a little more nudging and encouragement about switching jobs, you can click here.

Save Your Money Like A Mad Man
It is no secret that the larger your down payment is, the smaller the loan amount will be. Not only that, but the lenders that are considering you will see you as a less risky borrower.

Don’t Ever Pay More For A Home Than The Appraised Value
This is pretty much a no brainer, since the bank or lender will not want to lend you any more money than the actual property is worth.

Reduce The Amount Of Debt That You Carry
Other than your credit score, debt is one of the biggest reasons why people cannot qualify for a home loan. There is no magic number as to how much debt you can carry in addition to your mortgage, but lenders will be much more likely to lend you more money, if you have more debt.

I hope you can take some of these things to heart if you are considering purchasing a home in the next few months. You need to play the game and play it well if you want win!

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