You can obtain a mortgage loan even if you have limited credit references or no credit at all on your credit report. It is also not a requirement for you to have a credit score in order to obtain a mortgage.



Even if you have limited credit as little as one credit reference a lender can still obtain a credit score for you. If you have little or no credit references on your credit report, the lender will work with you to develop what is called a "nontraditional" credit report that will contain information on how you manage financial obligations like rental payments, utility payments, and other items that do not normally appear on a credit report.

Will my lender tell me my score? The decision is up to the lender and they are not required to share credit scores with borrowers. The lender can tell you if a credit score was used as part of the decision to approve or deny your loan. If your loan is denied, the lender can help you understand what reasons caused the denial and what you can do to get on the path to homeownership.

How do I know if the information used to calculate my credit score is correct? How do I get a copy of my credit report?

Your credit report reflects the information reported to the credit bureaus by each of your creditors. This information changes every time something is added or deleted from your credit file. For in¬stance, paying off an existing account, opening several new accounts, or exceeding the credit limit on one of your accounts will be reflected in your credit record.

Sometimes credit reports are inaccurate. There are also situations in which the time between when you open or close an account or make a payment and when this information is updated in your credit report makes it appear your credit report is inaccurate. The best way to ensure that the information contained in your credit files is correct is to periodically request copies of your credit report. Each credit bureau keeps its own records, so you may want to request copies from all three: Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian.

Credit bureaus general¬ly charge a small fee for a credit report; however, some states now require that they give free or discounted reports. In addition, if you have been turned down for credit because of information contained in your credit report, you are entitled to receive a free copy of your report within 60 days of the denial. If you think your report contains mistakes, notify the appropriate credit bureau listed in this brochure directly to ensure that the errors are corrected in your file. They will investigate the item and remove any incorrect information. If information in your credit file changes, your lender may want to request another copy of the report and a new credit score. Keep in mind, however, that making changes to your credit report may not change your credit score.

It is recommended that you obtain and review a copy of your credit report before you begin the mortgage loan process. To obtain a copy of your credit report, contact the following credit bureaus:

Equifax: (800) 685-1111, TransUnion: (800) 916-8800, Experian: (800) 682-7654.

For additional information, you may want to visit the Equifax, Trans Union, or Experian world wide web sites:

Equifax: equifax.com,

Trans Union: tuc.com

Experian: experian.com.

If there are errors in my credit report do I have to wait for them to be corrected before applying for a mortgage?

No. If you have reviewed your credit report and found errors, you should contact the credit bureau immediately and get it to correct the information. You still can apply for a mortgage while this information is being corrected. Just explain the circumstances to the loan officer and explain that the credit bureau is correcting the information.

If you already have applied for a mortgage loan, your loan officer still can evaluate your credit report and your loan application without a credit score by reviewing the information that is correct in your credit report. However, lenders do consider consumers who establish a pattern of frequently paying their bills late to be greater credit risks than those who pay on time. As a result, lenders often are reluctant or unwilling to extend new or additional credit to these consumers. Credit scoring reflects not only this concern, but the actual experience of lenders.