How to fix credit and debt problems before buying a house

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Debt settlement and income taxes - Your questions answered
Debt settlement has become a popular approach to resolving problem debts without having to file bankruptcy. With this approach, creditors agree to accept a portion of what you owe (usually around 50% or less) to settle the account, and the remaining balance is forgiven. This technique will certainly continue to grow in popularity now that the new bankruptcy law makes it tougher to fully discharge ... Read debt consolidation article



Debt - Take control of your finances
Financial worries can add to the stress levels of individuals. For many families it can become one of the biggest sources of disagreements and tension. The most common financial concern is that the money coming in never ever seems to match the money going out. The most obvious way to address this is by taking control of your finances. This is easier said than done. An important thing to... Read debt consolidation article



How to fix credit and debt problems before buying a house
Most people think - mistakenly - that if you have credit problems, you have to wait 7 years for them to go away. Well, that's not always true.

Credit repair can help you...once you know how to do it. The time to clean up your credit and pay off your debts is RIGHT NOW, before you start looking for houses and applying for mortgages. Cleaning up your credit and lowering your debt will help you:

* get a better interest rate * borrow more money * and save lots of money in interest Clean Up Your Credit Report

These days, getting credit is easy. Unfortunately, so is getting into debt or financial trouble.

But just because you've had some money problems does NOT mean you can't get a mortgage and buy a house. There are all kinds of loans:

* loans for first time homebuyers * loans for people with bad credit * loans for people with perfect credit * and loans for people without a lot of money for a down payment

So, most people can get a loan these days. The question is, HOW MUCH will you pay in the long run for higher fees and interest rates?

A lot of people think that if something bad goes on your credit report, that it must stay there for 7 years, or longer. But that's not always true. Credit repair can work, if you know how to do it.

And, you can do it yourself.

For example, I had lots of debt (from a business idea that did not work) and got a lot of bad credit listings while getting myself out of debt.

And within 6 months of paying off my last credit card bill (remember, even if you have some debt you might still be able to get a house loan) I repaired my credit to the point that I got both a car loan and a mortgage. More importantly, I got the LOWEST POSSIBLE interest rates, which over the life of a 30-year loan could save me tens of thousands of dollars!

How did I repair my credit?

I got a copy of all my credit reports, and kept writing letters asking the credit bureaus to remove the bad credit.

So it CAN be done. (And I had some pretty bad stuff on my credit reports.) The worst that can happen is that the credit bureaus can say "no" to your request. The best that can happen is that your credit score will improve, and you'll pay a lower interest rate, get a bigger mortgage, or both!

So, how do you clean up your credit report?

The first step is to get a copy of your credit report from the 3 credit bureaus, listed below. You might have to pay a few dollars, but it is well worth it. If you moved, changed jobs, and had any other personal info change recently, you can send it to the credit bureaus, and request a free copy.

NOTE: You are now entitled to one free credit report each year from http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

The next step is to circle or highlight the bad credit items, and write a letter to each credit bureau asking them to remove the item. If you have a lot, focus on one or two at a time.

Then, wait a month or two, and ask for another one or two items to be removed.

It might take a few tries.

But if you keep trying, eventually most (or all) of the items will be removed.

In the worst case - even if you only get a few removed - it might still improve your credit score, reduce your interest rate, and lower your monthtly payment!

So don't give up.

It might take a little time to repair your credit - especially if you've had quite a few money problems. But every little bit helps your credit score, your interest rate, and the amount of money you can get.

Then Pay Off As Much Debt As Possible

I know, when preparing to buy your new home money is real tight. But if you have any extra money - any at all - try to pay off as much debt as possible. This will help you:

* Be more likely to be approved for a mortgage * Be able to borrow more money * Have one (or more) less bill to worry about once you start having to pay a mortgage every month.

If you can't pay off your debt, you might want to consider waiting before buying your new home. Or, look into a debt reduction program that can help you get out of debt faster.

There are no rules that say you can't have some debt and still buy a house!

But think very carefully about your financial situation. And TRY to pay off as much debt as possible before buying a house. There is enough to worry about as a new homeowner, without having to worry about paying your credit card bills.

At the very least, if you do have any debt, MAKE SURE you can comfortably afford to pay your credit card bills as well as your mortgage, before getting started!

Kris Bickell is the owner of HouseBuying-Tips.com, a site that helps first time home buyers avoid the costly mistakes that many new homebuyers make. For more tips on buying a house, getting a mortgage, finding a realtor, and getting out of debt, sign up for the free "How To Avoid These 10 Costly Mistakes When Buying Your First Home" email course at: http://www.HouseBuying-Tips.com/course.html. © 2005 HouseBuying-Tips.com

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Online credit repair - Free services to help you

If you want online credit repair, there are many services online that will guide you through the process of repairing your own credit record for free. Bad credit does not have to be with you forever and you can take steps now to repair your own credit record. There is no need to pay out hundreds or thousands of dollars to get the help you need. By searching for online credit repair, you will find a wealth of information to help you. Credit repair online is very achievable.

If you do decide that you need help, read the information available online. Credit repair is something that will take time so you shouldn't expect it to happen overnight. You can start by consolidating your bills with one debt reduction loan. Contact your bank or lending institution. These organizations have credit counsellors who will help you with bad credit repair.

The counsellor will help you determine the amount of money you need to borrow to pay off your bills. If you have many bills, then you can choose the ones with the highest monthly payments, leaving you with a manageable monthly payment. With online credit repair, there are many ways you can find counsellors to help you without going through your bank, but these will charge a fee for the services. You don't need to waste any more money by paying unnecessary charges to help you with bad credit repair. Online credit repair is like any credit repair, it's a matter of finding the right resources.

The main thing with bad credit repair is to make a conscientious effort to pay your bills on time. If possible, pay a little more than the minimum monthly payment. This not only helps to repair your bad credit, but gets the bills paid off earlier because you reduce the amount of interest charged on your account. Online credit repair help is available from all of the credit bureaus and there are even guidebooks online to help you with every step of the process.

One of the suggestions you will get from an online credit repair service is that you should pay as much as possible on your bills that have the highest amount of interest. If you are paying off a credit card, instead of putting money in the bank to have in case of an emergency, pay it on the credit card instead. This way if you need extra money, you still have the card to use. Tips for bad credit repair from online credit repair sources will also tell you that you can have a prepaid credit card so that when you spend any money, it will not put your further in debt.

Online credit repair can work very well, if you find the right resources.

To find out more about Credit Repair visit Peter's Website Credit Repair Answers at http://www.credit-repair-answers.com/ and find out about Credit Bureaus and more, including Credit Repair Services, Free Credit Reports and Online Credit Repair at http://www.credit-repair-answers.com/credit-bureaus.html


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How to fix credit and debt problems before buying a house
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