Start with clear, practical guides to buying, refinancing, and using home equity.
A plain-English guide to DTI to buy a house, including how lenders calculate it, what counts as debt and income, and what can affect approval.
A plain-English guide to improving credit score for a mortgage, including payment history, credit use, disputes, timing, and what lenders review.
A credit score matters when buying a home, but it is only part of the mortgage picture. Here is how lenders typically review credit and risk.
October 15 update: eligible Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans can use VantageScore 4.0 or Classic FICO. FICO 10T delivery is still pending. Read Rocket's announced transition and the original April context.
There is no single magic number. What matters is which loan program you fit into and what your full credit profile looks like.
A pre-approval is more than a price ceiling. It is a structured review of your file that shapes how strong your offer looks.
Where rates landed, what moved them, and one or two practical things to do about it. One short email on Tuesdays.
Optional and free mortgage education by email. No account required.
