It’s time to fly the nest and start a new life. This can be a very exciting time, but it can be very frightening. Take a little time to think about what you really want. Read all contracts carefully with someone more knowledgeable before signing and check thoroughly your finances.

Prior to the actual day of your move thoroughly inspect the property, preferably with the letting agent. Take along a camera and photograph any damage already present. Check out any existing damage, such as stains on carpets, marks on the walls or damage to furniture, appliances etc. and burns of any description. When these photo’s are developed keep one set and give the other set to the letting agency, this will protect your deposit when you decide to leave and avoids any argument over who was responsible for the damage.

Check all appliances are in working order. If within a couple of days after moving in something decides not to work properly, IMMEDIATELY contact the letting agent, to minimise the risk of being accused of having damaged the item yourself.

All properties will vary, from totally furnished including almost everything, to a completely empty unfurnished property. Take time to consider before you start looking for a property what your preference is. Totally furnished is great, you’ll have little outlay, but rents usually reflect this and deposits can be higher, with of course more items that could accidentally get broken or worn, then you’ll lose a percentage of the deposit. Whereas if you choose an unfurnished home, this will be cheaper and you can customise the furnishing to your budget and taste. Just remember though, when you vacate an unfurnished property, you’ll have to take everything with you.

There will be several items you may require for your new property, as explained earlier, this will depend on the type of property you choose. Most of the items you will require can be purchased quite cheaply from your local supermarket. There are also lots of second-hand furniture dealers, auctions houses and on line auction sites for the larger items. Just remember it’s not vital to have everything at once, take your time and purchase wisely. Keep a VERY close watch on your finances for the 1st couple of months and the month before the move, expenses have a habit of running away with themselves especially if you have no experience with household budgeting. I hope shortly to continue this theme with an article on household budgeting for the beginner.



Quick House Sale

Over the past couple of years the risk of repossession has become a very real one for many homeowners and the UK, and this has been partly fuelled by the series of interest rate hikes applied to the base rate by the Bank of England. Between August 2006 and July 2007 the interest rate rose fives times, each time by 0.25%, taking the base rate to 5.75% by July 2007.

Interest rates were hiked during this time so that the government could try and keep a lid on inflation, which had spiralled out of control and exceeded the government’s 2% target. However, the rate rises inevitably impacted on household finances, with many homeowners facing rocketing mortgage repayments, and this had a knock on effect on the economy as well as on consumer confidence.

In December of last year, and again in February of this year, the base rate was cut, again each time by 0.25%, taking the base rate back down to 5.25%. However, despite these rate cuts many homeowners are still struggling, as any cuts in their mortgage repayments have been counteracted by increases in other costs such as energy bills, food prices, and petrol costs.

Recent figures have shown that in 2007 the level of repossessions in the UK soared by 21%, with around 27,000 homeowners having their properties repossessed over the course of the year because they could not make repayments. A number of industry officials have predicted that this year will see the level of repossessions continue to rise as a result of strained household finances and rising costs.

However, homeowners that are struggling to keep up with repayments on their mortgage loan are advised to seek advice and help as early on as possible, and often the first line of enquiry will be the mortgage lender. Unlike unsecured finance, your mortgage loan is tied to your home, and missing repayments could result in losing your home.

One official from the Council of Mortgage Lenders said that anyone struggling with mortgage repayments should contact their lender as soon as possible with a view to coming to an agreement, at least in the short term. He said: ‘Lenders take their responsibilities to borrowers facing repayment difficulties very seriously, and many go to exceptional lengths to provide debt counselling, reschedule payments, extend loan terms, or in some circumstances even allow payment breaks. They will abandon repossession action right up to the last moment if they can reach a payment solution consistent with both the borrower’s and the lender’s interests.’



Quick Property Sale

Bad credit can be financially crippling when trying to apply for a credit card or a loan or even more of a problem when applying for a mortgage. Bad credit can cause many sleepless nights and family stress, while trying to acquire a mortgage for your new home.

It is very easy indeed to lose your good credit status, a few late payments, or one missed payment can seriously damage your credit rating. A couple of weeks off work, sick, or some unforeseen large payment can easily damage your credit. Making it difficult to get a mortgage for your dream home.

Many people will turn to companies that specialise in helping people repair their credit status. These people may not realise that having bad credit does not necessarily bar you from getting a mortgage. It may, make it more difficult, and a little more inconvenient, but it certainly does not mean that mortgage is beyond your reach.

A bad credit mortgage may in fact be the best way of repairing your damage credit and regaining the confidence of lenders of all kinds. One of the main purposes of the bad credit mortgage is to repair the damaged credit score, and also get individuals back on the road to financial security.

Bad credit mortgages will give you the opportunity to show lenders and credit reporting agencies that your credit status was caused by situations outside of your control and you are in fact, well capable of making regular payments.

Making these regular payments can quickly show to lenders that you are a responsible borrower who wishes to resolve their credit history problems.

The first thing you need to do to obtain a bad credit mortgage is to find a company to lend you the money. It is not advisable to do this on your own unless you have considerable knowledge of the mortgage market.

It is quick and simple to secure the services of a mortgage broker, who has the knowledge and the skill to bring you together with a quality mortgage lender who will suit your needs.

When you find a broker, you need to make him aware from the beginning that your credit is less than perfect. That way, he can save time by knowing which lenders may be suitable for your needs.

Not only can a bad credit mortgage help you to resolve your credit score problems. It can also be used to fix some of your financial credit problems as well.

By credit mortgage can be used to fund paying off some of your existing debts, such as credit cards and car loans. Lowering your monthly payments by rolling all his debts into one payment, which will be far more affordable for you.

Some companies now specialise in these kind of mortgages, and are sympathetic to people who have found themselves in difficult financial and credit situations. They understand that circumstances beyond your control may have forced you to miss a couple of payments on a credit card. But that does not necessarily make you a bad risk of paying your mortgage in a timely fashion.

There are many mortgage brokers, some of them online, who can point you in the right direction and give you lots of useful advice about how to locate the best mortgage provider for your bad credit mortgage situation.



Quick Property Sale

This article describes 12 recurring commercial mortgage problems that commercial borrowers and their advisors need to anticipate before it is too late. The following problems are common in traditional bank commercial real estate loans and should be avoided if feasible (special circumstances will periodically make some of these terms unavoidable).

Key Problem Number 1:

Tax Returns versus Stated Income

Most traditional banks will require several years of tax returns in order to qualify for a commercial real estate loan. The alternative is to use a Stated Income Lender that does not verify personal income or assets. Many borrowers will simply not qualify for a commercial mortgage loan if tax returns are used due to high business expenses (and low net income). Many lenders using tax returns will also continue to verify income after the loan closes. Stated Income Lenders will not engage in this practice.

Key Problem Number 2:

Special Purpose Properties

It is becoming increasingly difficult to get commercial loans for special purpose properties. Properties that do not fall in the categories of apartments or retail/office buildings are often placed in this special purpose classification. This means that business acquisition loans for commercial properties such as restaurants/bars and auto service businesses are frequently hard to find. Commercial financing will be even more difficult to locate for such specialized properties as churches, funeral homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Key Problem Number 3:

Recall/balloon features

These terms are used by many banks to effectively shorten most business acquisition loans to 3-7 years.

Key Problem Number 4:

Short-term loans (less than fifteen years)

15-40 Year Commercial Property Loans without recall/balloon features are available.

Key Problem Number 5:

Up-front Commitment fees

Under most circumstances, commercial borrowers should not pay such a fee. Please note that processing/retainer fees are not included in this discussion of commitment fees. Processing/retainer fees should be viewed as an acceptable and standard business practice when dealing with commercial loans.

Key Problem Number 6:

Business Plans

Under most circumstances, commercial borrowers should not use a lender that requires a business plan.

Key Problem Number 7:

Cross-collateralization

Commercial borrowers should not be required to use their personal assets as collateral for a commercial property loan.

Key Problem Number 8:

Sourcing and seasoning assets. Seasoning of ownership.

This particular problem will not be relevant to all business borrowers. However, if it is relevant, you should seek out a lender without sourcing and seasoning requirements or limitations. Most banks have strict guidelines for sourcing and seasoning of assets or ownership to qualify for commercial real estate loans. For a purchase, commercial lenders will frequently want documentation about where the down payment is coming from (sourcing). Commercial lenders will also frequently have very specific requirements stipulating that the funds must have been in a specific account for a specific period of time, often 3-6 months or longer (seasoning). Seasoning of ownership is similar to seasoning of funds, except this requirement involves the minimum time someone has owned a commercial property before they can refinance the property.

Key Problem Number 9:

Requirement to sign IRS Form 4506

IRS Form 4506 authorizes the lender to obtain a borrower’s tax returns directly from the IRS. This form is routinely required by most traditional banks and many other commercial lenders for a business acquisition loan. Commercial borrowers using a Stated Income Lender with Limited Documentation Requirements will avoid this requirement.

Key Problem Number 10:

Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) in excess of 1.2 for a business acquisition loan

The most flexible approach to DSCR for a commercial property loan will require a DSCR in the range of 1 to 1.2, with exceptions permitting a DSCR less than 1.

Key Problem Number 11:

Minimum commercial property loan size that is too high for your commercial mortgage needs.

It is not unusual to encounter a minimum commercial loan requirement of $500,000 to $1,000,000.

Key Problem Number 12:

Excessive length of the commercial real estate loan process

Many traditional banks require three to nine months to close a commercial mortgage. A more action-oriented commercial lender will close a commercial mortgage loan in 45 to 60 days.

For a free online six-part commercial mortgage course that addresses all of the problems described in this article, please visit http://steve.bush.googlepages.com/course or http://aexcfgllc.com for free enrollment information.

Ï © 2005-2006 AEX Commercial Financing Group, LLC Ï All Rights Reserved Ï



Sell House Quick

Are you concerned about the state of your mortgage? Are you worried that your home might be repossessed. Phone us now to allay your fears with a fast house sale. You might be in arrears after a payment holiday. Some mortgages allow you to take a break, as long as you pay up later. This payment holiday is helpful when you need flexibility and finances are tight.

But payment holidays are a double edged sword. You have to pay up when the balance is due or you will have mortgage arrears. Your lender won’t hang around, but will soon ask for the money that’s owed. If you get into arrears by several months, then it is difficult to stage a recovery and your home might be at risk. A fast house sale can help when you need cash fast to deal with this situation.

Handling Mortgage Problems

Once you become aware that you have a problem, contact your lender. Your lender will help you willingly if you are really trying to fix your finances. The error that some people make is that they ignore the mortgage arrears issue in the hope that it will disappear. That won’t happen. However a fast house sale can help even if your lender is on the verge of repossessing your home.

Getting Help With A Quick House Sale

Financial recovery is only a step away with a quick house sale. When you contact St Genix Fast House Buyers you will benefit from:

Lower legal fees

Savings on bill and mortgage payments

A guaranteed sale in a month or less

No chain

If you want to become debt free then a fast house sale is the answer. If you are seeking information on how to determine the price for a house for a quick sale, contact St Genix Fast House Buyers. We will offer a cash price depending on the property market and your property and we will complete the sale fast. Your fast house sale will be done and dusted within a month. We can even complete the deal quicker if you need cash fast so you can stop a repossession from going ahead.

If you want to discuss a quick house sale, call us now on 0800 316 7600. We are specialists in assisting you to sell your house fast. You will soon have the cash you need to satisfy your mortgage lender. At the end of the sale, you can stay at home by using our rent back deal.



Sell and Rent Back

With interest rates and household bills rising rapidly it is inevitable that property investors and owner-occupiers will begin to struggle financially. One key indicator that the affordability of property is in decline is the rate of repossessions. As the rate increases analysts usually conclude that the mortgagors en masse are struggling to keep up with their repayments and the property market is in decline.

The rate of repossessions of buy-to-let property has traditionally been lower than owner-occupied property. However some industry analysts are claiming that the gap is shortening, suggesting that there are more amateur landlords in the market than ever before. It is no wonder this has happened with buy-to-let investing receiving unprecedented exposure in the media in recent years.

Experienced landlords are less likely to over-borrow and mortgage their portfolio to a level that it will be put at risk from a few small rises in interest rates. Amateur landlords, however, are more likely to borrow as much as possible in order to secure their first buy-to-let property. The desire to rush in and get a foot in the door can be too tempting for some regardless of whether adequate research has been conducted.

Whether or not buy-to-let property repossessions are rising in proportion to overall repossessions is difficult to assess. However no one is arguing that the total number of repossessions – including owner-occupied and investment properties – is rising.

One factor that may be contributing to amateur investors over-borrowing is the increasing ease in which finance is available through buy-to-let mortgages. Ten years ago investors were forced to pay a minimum 15% deposit to buy an investment property and also had to prove that the rental income would cover 130% of the monthly rental payments.

These days investors of almost any age, financial situation, or level of property investing experience can borrow enough money to finance the entire purchase of the property they wish to buy. This could be in the form of 100% loan-to-value buy-to-let mortgages or a combination of mortgages plus loans from other sources, such as credit cards and personal loans, to finance the deposit.

Additionally some lenders only ask that the rental income covers 100% of the monthly mortgage payment, leaving no room for the extra expenses a landlord must endure. Such a lending policy also fails to account for void periods.

It may be that if an individual needs to borrow 100% of the property’s value in order to buy it they may not be a suitable candidate for buy-to-let investing. An investor who doesn’t have enough money for a deposit surely wouldn’t have any funds set aside for void periods or unexpected major repairs and maintenance.

Because of this lenders are introducing products that are based on “affordability” rather than traditional lending criteria. Under such schemes the investor’s overall finances are assessed to discover whether they can actually afford the commitment of a buy-to-let property.

This will include an assessment of the income potential of the property in question in addition to an assessment of the borrower’s personal finances. Of course experienced landlords will have an easier time convincing lenders that they are a safe bet than inexperienced amateurs.



Real Estate Professionals

There has been a lot of talk about adjustable rate mortgages these days. Are they to blame for the housing crunch and the problems that people are facing? Not necessarily. There are still adjustable rate mortgages out there that can be the best options for hopeful Denver home owners. These can be goodDenver mortgage products.

How Does An Adjustable Rate Colorado Mortgage Work?

If you want to understand a Colorado mortgage with an adjustable rate, it is a mortgage which has an interest rate will change at a certain point, depending on other key interest rates rules connected to home lending. During the loan, the adjustable rate Denver mortgages will move up and down and effect the interest paid on the loan.

There will be a period in which the interest rate on a Colorado mortgage product is fixed. After that, the adjustable rate loan (also known as an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, or ARM) will change depending on the current rate (and the terms of the Colorado mortgage deal as well as current market conditions). The fixed rate the loan starts with is usually much lower than a person would have gotten if they had qualified for a fixed-rate loan. So, for a certain amount of time, the rate will be fixed and the payments will be consistent, predictable and very low, but after that period, in sometimes two to five years, the interest rate and mortgage payment will change at set periods of the loan.

Are There Any Adjustable Rate Denver Mortgage Worries?

Of course, there is a risk that goes along with an adjustable rate Denver mortgage, but this is what allows lenders to give borrowers a lower rate at the beginning of the term. This is what makes them different than fixed-rate Colorado mortgages, which may have a higher initial rate.

The risk with the loan comes because what the interest rate will eventually become is unknown at the outset of the loan. So then the mortgage payment becomes equally unpredictable. If you have an adjustable rate Colorado mortgage that goes into its adjustment period, you will see your mortgage payment fluctuate. But there is a ceiling to how much the rate can change and how often the rate can be adjusted.

In order to avoid the risks of an adjustable rate Denver mortgage, the best thing to do is refinance your loan before the end of the fixed-rate period of your loan. Now there is a risk since there is no way to predict when and if and how your loans will adjust. When you refinance your Colorado mortgage, there is a chance your fixed rate will move up.

Positive Aspects of Adjustable Rate Colorado MortgagesThere are some periods in life in which the adjustable rate Denver mortgage could be beneficial to you and your finances. It all depends on your particular situation at the time. Here are some scenarios in which an ARM might work:

• If you plan on selling your home soon

• If you won’t stay in your house for the length of the loan

• If you need to a influx of additional cash-flow

• If you have a low credit score, which won’t allow you to get the best fixed rate. However, you can use the fixed-rate period of the ARM to improve your credit and refinance for a good fixed rate.

• If you have another way out of a mortgage before the rate goes up.

• When you still have good terms and a ceiling on the interest rate.

There are good lenders out there who will be able to work with you in handling your ARM. There are Denver mortgage lenders who have built up a good reputation working with customers to deliver them good mortgage products that won’t be a financial burden.

If you want to discover the advantages of ARM products by working with a Colorado mortgage lender , you need to find someone who has an established business, rather than someone who has not been around a long time and may have more questionable Denver mortgages for sale.

This article is written by J.B. of 1st American Mortgage and Loan, LLC, a Colorado mortgage lender who offers access to information on obtaining a Colorado mortgage loan as well as other information on loans inColorado online mortgage quotes, and rates through his website TrueMortgageQuote.com http://www.truemortgagequote.com).



Quick Property Sale

What are Secured Loans? A secured loan is basically a loan wherein you – the borrower – will offer a sizeable value of property as collateral to be allowed to take out the loan from the lender. Hence, you are securing your loan so that the creditor feels secure in lending money to you. The collateral becomes a form of security against the day that you fail to pay back the loan on time. The timeframe between defaulting on your payments and when the creditor can take possession over the form of security (the collateral) may depend on the terms of your Secured Loan, but that is how all Secured Loans generally function.

Why does the creditor need your property as collateral? If you fail to pay back the loan within the timeframe specified in your agreement, the creditor needs your collateral to sell so that he can get back the value of the amount he lent to you. Secured Loans can reduce the level of financial risk that the creditor assumes by lending to you. Secured Loans also gives the creditor a basis for putting faith in your word when you pledge to repay the loan.

The assets you can pledge as collateral in the Secured Loans you are offered will range in size depending on the amount you want to borrow. Generally, the larger the loan amount, the larger will be the value of the asset you have to pledge as collateral. The best type of collateral has to be real estate (like your home – provided it is in good condition) because real estate usually appreciates in value over time. The next most common type of asset used as collateral is a vehicle (though this is not as valuable as real estate because cars depreciate over time due to wear and tear of use.)

People try to get Secured Loans because this is the usually the most convenient way to get money to finance a significant need (like growth of their small business or a down payment on a new home.) If the loan amount you are seeking isn’t very big, do not go for Secured Loans because you get a better deal on a personal loan or extension of a current mortgage instead (plus you need not put up your home as collateral.)

To get Secured Loans with guaranteed lowest rate possible (for your circumstances), you need to figure out how much payments per month you can afford on your current income. Some people like to figure out how much they can borrow using their property as collateral – only to find out the repayment terms are rather heavy. If the lender agrees, you can have a longer repayment term period. But the rule for repayment periods is: the longer the time given you to pay, the bigger is the cumulative payment. Still, at least with a longer repayment period, you need to pay less per month out of your income so maybe a longer repayment period is more comfortable for you to absorb.

Another aspect of Secured Loans you need to bear in mind is the lock-in period. This means, if you borrowed $1000 and agreed to pay within 1 year at 10% interest, then discovered another lender who can loan you more over a longer period of time at a lower rate and want to switch to the second lender, you have to pay lock-in penalties to the original lender (which cover the trouble the first lender now has to absorb because you’re switching to another lender.)

In short, the best advice you can get regarding how to get Secured Loans with guaranteed lowest rate possible (for your circumstances) is to: a) get a loan only when you’re sure what you want; and b) look before you leap.



Rent Back Fast

Whenever a relationship breaks down it is a shock, even when you have known for a while that its just not working out and the final decision to part is likely to stay with you for a long period of time. It can take months for it to really sink in and throughout this time it is common to fantasize about reconciliation, reunion and recriminations.

Understanding what went wrong is often the first step on the way to recovery and it’s easy to get stuck in questioning, how could they do that to me? What did I do wrong? Whose fault it is?  This is only natural.

However a more positive approach is to center on the relationship, as opposed to individual responsibility and I found the following questions beneficial: -

What were things like when we first met?

What was good about our relationship?

In what way have we changed?

Why were we attracted to each other?

Have any external factors influenced our relationships?

Just what is it that has prevented us from rising above our differences?

The answers to these questions may be upsetting but the more we understand, the easier it is to let go and then move on. This was a time that I felt many emotions, including sadness, anger, despair and confusion.  Additionally, there is a multitude of practical issues to take care of, such as, supporting your children, birthdays, childcare, informing the school, access arrangements and seeing the in-laws.

It is common after a relationship breakdown to find that you are having a battle with feelings of low self-confidence and self-esteem.  There are so many things to arrange it can be easy to neglect your own feelings. Don’t be too hard on yourself and accept and be thankful for any support your friends and family provide.

This is a tough time to be a parent but the children must know what is happening. Hiding the truth from them is not protecting them and may leave them confused and wondering whether they can trust you. Obviously how much you tell them will depend on how old they are.  Sharing your feeling will help them make sense of how they feel and allow your children to show their feelings as well.

My biggest worry was my concerns over money and property.  You know, managing the finances when you have to survive on a lower income and who gets what in your family home, the pet.  Will I have to sell? Where will we live?  This can really drag you down.  Luckily I found a solution to my problem, which saved me from any despair.

There are many house sale specialists who offer an alternative to that of an estate agent, so I decided to investigate this option. I found a website headlining “ Sell your home in as little as seven days” This I considered would go along way to solving a great number of my problems. I contacted An Instant Sale in Leicester on their free phone number and although I live nearly three hundred miles from their main office, a local representative visited me the very next day.

We agreed on a price and a date, and the cash from the equity in my property was transferred to my account, I was able to make the settlement with my partner and had some spare money to carry me through and I am not homeless.  Not only did they buy my home but they also arranged for me to rent back at the normal rent for our area.  If my circumstances improve, I have a pre-agreed price, to re purchase my home in the future.



Passive Income

Even people that know virtually nothing about finance and Wall Street are talking about the serious impact the subprime mortgage catastrophe has had on our economy. While the incredible number of failed subprime mortgages may have started the economic tumble, the continued financial problems and people’s inability to obtain a mortgage or mortgage refinancing of their home is exacerbated by poor credit scores.

To make matters worse, with the horrifying increase in foreclosures across the country, the mortgage, and mortgage refinancing problem for mortgage brokers is just going to grow.

When an individual’s credit score goes down, so does their choices for mortgages and mortgage refinancing options. Also, tell your clients to beware of untrustworthy credit repair companies and other scams in the marketplace today promising to “repair bad credit”.

Good credit is an absolute must for a loan originator to be able to put through most reasonable mortgage and mortgage refinancing deals, and with the problem not going away anytime soon, it behooves the loan originator the help their clients with ideas for the credit repair process of improving their credit scores.

This type of credit repair advice is the way that a mortgage broker can turn a potential client into the “real deal” and close their mortgage or mortgage refinancing deal. Also, if done properly, more often than not, the process can take place in a relatively short time span.

Step 1

Realize that rebuilding an individual’s credit score is an ongoing process and requires thoughtful preparation to successfully rebuild his or her credit to an acceptable level to obtain a well structured mortgage or mortgage refinancing product.

Encourage your client to be conservative on any new monthly credit score building budget that they will be able to make the payments and never be late on anything. Caution your client not to structure a program with monthly payments that they cannot comfortably make, because being late on any payments will further reduce their credit score and may make a new mortgage or mortgage refinancing of their home impossible.

If there are extenuating circumstances such as divorce, insist that they review their credit program with their attorney before agreeing to anything.

Step 2

If your client’s credit card companies have not reported or have understated their credit limits on their credit cards, it can hurt their credit score. For this reason, have your client determine if their credit card companies are understating their credit limits on their cards. Often credit limits are reported as lower than they actually are and frequently may not be reported whatsoever.

While we are on the subject of credit cards, make sure that your client has a minimum of three credit cards or other sort of revolving credit. Many people mistakenly believe that if they have credit cards it actually hurts their credit score and because of this, they cancel some or all of their cards. Their credit score can be more harmed and the possibilities of not obtaining new mortgage refinancing on their home or a new mortgage is greater by simply canceling existing credit cards.

Furthermore, if they do not have any credit cards, have them obtain at least three. If they have trouble with getting typical cards like Visa, Master Card, Amex etc, tell them to try a local department store, or a Home Depot or Lowes. Quite often these types of stores are more lenient in granting revolving charge accounts.

Step 3

Make sure that your client reduces any outstanding credit card balances to under 30% of their credit limit on each of the individual cards. Some people mistakenly think that the 30% figure is based on their overall revolving credit card balance, but this is false. A single card over the 30% balance can nullify the benefit of the effort of having the revolving credit cards in the first place.

If your client has one card over the limit and several others under the limit, if they are limited on cash and cannot pay down the high card, have them see it they can transfer some of the higher card’s balance to the lower cards. Have them check first before doing this to see if this type of transfer creates a higher interest rate or any other adverse effects on their credit.

Thus, if an individual has 3 credit cards with a total of $12,000 credit, but two of them have a $2,000 limit and the other has an $8,000 limit, make sure that they keep the $2,000 limit cards under $600 each and the $8,000 card to under $2,400.

Implementing this simple process will cause credit scores to rise, along with the possibility of obtaining that desired mortgage or mortgage refinancing program.

Step 4

When helping your client to raise their credit scores, make it a point to frequently pull their credit reports for them to determine their status as well as any errors on their reports.

Errors are so common on credit reports that over 75% of all credit reports have a minimum of one or more mistakes on them. Just by their being diligent and carefully insuring that any incorrect reporting information is removed, their credit score will quite often go up incredibly. This is certainly one of the easiest and most effective things that your client can do immediately to improve their score dramatically along with the possibility of them obtaining a new mortgage or mortgage refinancing of their existing mortgage.

Step 5

If your client’s credit has been damaged to the point of having been sent to a collection agency, they probably will not want to immediately pay off the credit card debt. As incredible as it may seem, this situation can actually be more harmful than having credit card debt sent to a collection agency on their credit record.

When one of your clients have been sent to a credit collection agency, the effect on their credit is low after about two years and is virtually wiped out after four years.

Insure that your client receives a written promise from the collection agency for a “letter of deletion” before they do anything toward satisfying the old credit card debt, because without a letter of deletion, they may hurt their credit problem more than help it. Stress to your client that they should not pay anything on the bill until they receive in writing the agreement for the letter of deletion from the collection agency.

Most people trying to improve their credit to obtain a mortgage or mortgage refinancing on their home think that they need to pay off everything as quickly as possible, but this is one case that paying before you obtain the proper documents protecting your situation can actually seriously hurt your credit. People have in reality completely paid off a debt or negotiated a settlement to learn to their dismay that they now have no leverage to get the collection agency to send the letter of deletion.

Step 6

Finally, if your client does not make paid installments on a car or a boat, have them take out some sort of installment loan with someone like Best Buy or Sears on some needed appliance or with Staples or Office Depot for some business equipment. Credit bureaus look carefully not only at the fact that you have credit, but also the blend of the types of credit that you have. Having just credit cards only is not as advantageous as having credit cards and some sort of installment payment loan.

Be sure that your client watches out for the rates on their new installment loan. Some of these rates can be “out of the roof” and create undo stress on the monthly budget.

Also, unlike the credit cards which you should keep in perpetuity, obviously, revolving credit comes to some point at which the loan is satisfied and the monthly payment ceases. Your client should not buy just for the sake of buying, but if they are trying to improve their credit scores, planning a purchase that they might have paid in full with cash, would be better if they put a substantial amount down in cash and then financed the balance on an installment loan. Financing a smaller amount can actually lower loan interest payments thus lowering the monthly payment; all of which makes your client more likely to improve their credit score and get a new mortgage or mortgage refinancing of their home.



Real Estate Professionals