What goes into your FICO® Scores for A Kentucky Mortgage ?

 

What goes into your Kentucky Mortgage FICO®  Scores ?

The FICO® Score is calculated using 5 categories of data:

• 35% Payment history: Whether you've paid past credit accounts on time.
• 30% Amounts owed: The amount of credit and loans you are using.
• 15% Length of credit history: How long you've had credit.
• 10% New credit: Your frequency of credit inquiries and new account openings.
• 10% Credit mix: The mix of your credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans and mortgages.

Your FICO Scores are unique, just like you. They are calculated based on the categories described above, but for some people, the importance of these categories can be different.

Joel Lobb  Mortgage Loan Officer

American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
10602 Timberwood Circle
Louisville, KY 40223
Company NMLS ID #1364

Text/call: 502-905-3708
fax: 502-327-9119
email: kentuckyloan@gmail.com

http://www.mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com/

NMLS 57916  | Company NMLS #1364/MB73346135166/MBR1574

The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people.
NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

FHA Mortgage Manual Underwriting Video Guidelines

Did you know over 50% of our Kentucky  FHA loans are manual underwrites?

 

Kentucky FHA will consider the borrower’s entire story, including extenuating circumstances and compensating factors, to justify loan approvals. If your borrower falls under any of these conditions, they may benefit from manual underwriting:

• Non-traditional credit / lack of credit
• True extenuating circumstances affecting credit or income history
• Lack of seasoning on a Chapter 13
• Disputed accounts over $1,000
• Frequent job changes in the last 12 months

If you think your borrower could benefit from  manual underwriting call us to learn more about manual underwriting or submit your scenario today.

Lowest Minimum Decision Credit Score 

Maximum Qualifying Ratios (%)

 Acceptable Compensating Factors

All manual underwritten loans require a VOR.

If the borrower does not pay rent a letter of explanation from borrower stating where living rent free.

31/43
• No compensating factors required.
• Energy Efficient Homes may have stretch ratios of 33/45.

37/47
One of the following:
• Verified & documented cash reserves equal to at least three total monthly mortgage payments.
• New total monthly mortgage payment is not more than $100 or 5% higher than previous total monthly housing payment, whichever is less; and there is a documented twelve-month housing payment history with no more than one thirty-day late payment.
• Residual Income per VA chart.

40/40
• Borrower has established credit lines in his/her own name (open for at least six months) but carries no discretionary debt (monthly total housing payment is only open installment account and borrower can document that revolving credit has been paid off in full monthly for at least the past six months).

40/50
Two of the following:
• Verified & documented cash reserves equal to at least three total monthly mortgage payments.
• New total monthly mortgage payment is not more than $100 or 5% higher than previous total monthly housing payment, whichever is less; and there is a documented twelve-month housing payment history with no more than one thirty-day late payment.
• Verified and documented significant additional income that is not considered effective income and likely to continue (part-time or seasonal income verified for more than 1 year but less than 2 years). The income if it were included in gross effective income is sufficient to reduce the qualifying ratios to not more than 37/47.
• Residual Income per VA chart.

Residual Income

Calculating Residual Income

Residual income is calculated in accordance with the following:
• Calculate the total gross monthly income of all occupying borrowers
• Deduct from the gross monthly income the following items:
➢ State income taxes
➢ Federal income taxes
➢ Municipal or other income taxes
➢ Retirement or Social Security
➢ Proposed total monthly fixed mortgage payment
➢ All recurring monthly debt obligations
➢ Estimated maintenance and utilities ($0.14 x sq. ft.)
➢ Job related expenses (e.g., child care)

• The difference between the gross monthly income and the deductions above is the residual income

Compensating Factors

Using Residual Income as a Compensating Factor
Count all members of the household of the occupying borrowers without regard to the nature of their relationship and without regard to whether they are joining on title or the note.
Exception: As stated in the VA Guidelines, the mortgagee may omit any individuals from “family size” who are fully supported from a source of verified income which is not included in the effective income in the loan analysis. These Individuals must voluntarily provide sufficient documentation to verify their income to qualify for this exemption.

From the table below, select the applicable loan amount and household size. If residual income equals or exceeds the corresponding amount on the table, it may be cited as a compensating factor.

Accept Risk Class required downgrade to Manual Underwriting

The Mortgagee must downgrade and manually underwrite any mortgage that received an accept or approve/eligible recommendation if:
• The mortgage file contains information or documentation that cannot be evaluated by TOTAL.
• Additional information, not considered in the AUS recommendation affects the overall insurability of the mortgage.
• The borrower has $1,000 or more collectively in Disputed Derogatory Credit Accounts.
• The date of the borrower’s bankruptcy discharge as reflected on bankruptcy documents is within two years from the date of the case number assignment.
• The case number assignment date is within three years of the date of the transfer of title through a Pre-Foreclosure Sale (Short Sale).
• The case number assignment date is within three years of the date of the transfer of title through a foreclosure sale.
• The case number assignment date is within three years of the date of the transfer of title through a Deed-in-Lieu (DIL) of foreclosure.
• The Mortgage Payment history, for any mortgage trade line reported on the credit report used to score the application, requires a downgrade as defined in Housing Obligations/Mortgage Payment History.
• The Borrower has undisclosed mortgage debt that requires a downgrade.
• Business income shows a greater than 20 percent decline over the analysis period.

https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/fy16_sfhb_mod4_under.pdf

Disputes on Credit Report and Kentucky Mortgage Loan Approval?

Applying for a Kentucky Mortgage Soon?

Don't Dispute that Account

     Sounds counterintuitive, I'm sure ...

     But until you've talked to me (or your own local Mortgage Originator), don't even think about disputing an account found on your Credit Report.

     Why?  Unknowingly, you can be creating real problems for your Mortgage Application and Approval. 

     Consider this:  A creditor can refuse to change their disputed rating.  Too many disputed accounts on a Credit Report may result in your loan being denied.

     Is that a really a risk you want to run at such an important time?

     A formal dispute placed on a car loan, student loan, credit card, collection ... or even worse, a mortgage loan ... can cause havoc for your new Mortgage Application.  So ...

     Slow down.  Contact me ... and let's talk.  We'll analyze all your options and see what action is appropriate and in your best interest.  

     What is not commonly known:  Credit Bureaus and Automated Underwriting systems now reflect an evolution that has taken place over the last few years regarding credit disputes.  

     Both the Bureaus and Underwriting systems have been re-worked to recognize disputes as a negative impact and rating on a Borrower's "approvability" or "credit-worthiness".  

     But these changes have taken place without much fanfare and public recognition.  And because of that, hopeful Borrowers have all too often been contributing to the issues faced within their Mortgage Process later.     

     Prospective Mortgage Applicants (and the public in general) must be educated to this fact.  The temptation to dispute an account must be avoided, if hoping to finance a home via a Mortgage Loan soon.       

     If a Creditor offers-up a path to formally dispute your account ... just say no!  At least prior to our talking.

     There may be a better course of action available to you.  During our conversation we'll weigh your options and best course as it pertains to your Mortgage and your Approval.  

     But providing solid, written proof and evidence regarding your stance on the account in question, WITHOUT placing a formal "dispute" on said account is often the most prudent course of action ... 

     Remember:  You must have legitimate data and written proof in order to accomplish your goal successfully.  But when you have that proof, your account can be "re-rated" or the derogatory rating can be deleted from your Credit Report. 

     Any "correction" should come from the Creditor (Credit Card company/bank/etc.) and immediately sent to each of the 3 Credit Bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax).  

     This final step trips-up way too many, as it's assumed that the Creditor(s) will share the new updated information with the 3 Credit Bureaus.  They may or may not.  

     Bottomline:  It remains YOUR responsibility to inform each of the 3 Bureaus.  

     Play it safe and follow through with this important task, as it's in your best interest to see that it's successfully done.   

     When a correction is reported to the Bureaus, they will, in turn, update your Credit Report.  While each case is different (and I do not represent that all results will be successful or as hoped for) ... you may head off potential issues with your Mortgage Approval by acting pro-actively.  Consult with a Credit Repair Specialist if uncertain of corrective steps to be taken.

     In the modern Mortgage Process, the experience level of the Mortgage Originator you choose can't be understated.  Successful navigation through the steps of addressing credit disputes and credit analysis is just one example of this fact.

Credit Karma DOES NOT give you FICO scores! Which is what mortgage lenders use.

Great information to share with your clients that uses Credit Karma. A lot of people do not know that the Credit Karma app is a Vantage Score.

Credit Karma is NOT Free!

Credit Karma makes money off of the personal information you volunteered!

Credit Karma is NOT a credit monitoring site! - They collect your information from the credit agencies to create targeted campaigns based on your personal information which makes Credit Karma an affiliate marketing site!

Credit Karma DOES NOT give you FICO scores! Which is what mortgage lenders use.

Credit Karma provides you with Vantage scores (Not heavily used by lenders)

Credit Karma buys your information for pennies on the dollar, this is how they are able to provide you with updates every 7 days.

Why?... To get you to look at your scores and their AFFILIATE offers! You know, the offers for those credit cards that say you have a fair, good or very good chance of being approved for....

Have you noticed they never say, "You have a bad or poor chance”?

Apply, get denied and now you have an inquiry on your credit profile.

For those of you that are seeing you have a "chance" of getting approved for an American Express think again... You would be surprised to know, American Express only pulls from Experian for credit cards?

Credit Karma DOES NOT give you Experian credit report or scores

While it’s common knowledge that mortgage lenders use FICO scores, most people with a credit history have three FICO scores, one from each of the three national credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). 

• Which FICO Score is Used for Mortgages?

Most lenders determine a borrower’s creditworthiness based on FICO® scores, a Credit Score developed by Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO™). This score tells the lender what type of credit risk you are and what your interest rate should be to reflect that risk. FICO scores have different names at each of the three major United States credit reporting companies. And there are different versions of the FICO formula. Here are the specific versions of the FICO formula used by mortgage lenders:

• Equifax Beacon 5.0
• Experian/Fair Isaac Risk Model v2
• TransUnion FICO Risk Score 04

Lenders have identified a strong correlation between Mortgage performance and FICO Bureau scores (FICO score). FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The lower the FICO score, the greater the risk of default.

Which Score Gets Used?

Since most people have three FICO scores, one from each credit bureau, how do lenders choose which one to use?

For a FICO score to be considered “usable”, it must be based on adequate, concrete information. If there is too little information, or if the information is inaccurate, the FICO score may be deemed unusable for the mortgage underwriting process. Once the underwriter has determined if a score is usable or not, here’s how they decide which score(s) to use for an individual borrower:

• If all three scores are different, they use the middle score
• If two of the scores are the same, they use that score, regardless of whether the two repeated scores are higher or lower than the third score

Lenders have identified a strong correlation between Mortgage performance and FICO Bureau scores (FICO score). FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The lower the FICO score, the greater the risk of default.

If it helps to visualize this information:

Identifying the Underwriting Score
Example	Score 1	Score 2	Score 3	Underwriting Score
Borrower 1	680	700	720	700

Joel Lobb

Mortgage Loan Officer

Individual NMLS ID #57916

 

American Mortgage Solutions, Inc.

10602 Timberwood Circle 

Louisville, KY 40223

Company NMLS ID #1364

click here for directions to our office

 

Text/call:      502-905-3708

fax:            502-327-9119
email:          kentuckyloan@gmail.com

 

https://www.mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com/

 

 

 

—

 

NMLS Consumer Access

 Accessibility Statement

Privacy Policy

 

 

 

Joel Lobb
Senior  Loan Officer

(NMLS#57916)

 

 Company ID #1364 | MB73346

http://mylouisvillekentuckymortgage.com/

 

text or call my phone: (502) 905-3708
email me at kentuckyloan@gmail.com

The view and opinions stated on this website belong solely to the authors, and are intended for informational purposes only. The posted information does not guarantee approval, nor does it comprise full underwriting guidelines. This does not represent being part of a government agency. The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer. Not all products or services mentioned on this site may fit all people. NMLS ID# 57916, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). USDA Mortgage loans only offered in Kentucky.

All loans and lines are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation

 

Kentucky First Time Home Buyer Programs For Home Mortgage Loans: 5 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Credit Score - Clark...

Kentucky First Time Home Buyer Programs For Home Mortgage Loans: 5 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Credit Score - Clark...: 

5 Sneaky Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

.

How to Raise Your Credit Score Fast

1. Find Out When Your Issuer Reports Payment History

Call your credit card issuer and ask when your balance gets reported to the credit bureaus. That day is often the closing date (or the last day of the billing cycle) on your account. Note that this is different from the “due date” on your statement.

There’s something called a “credit utilization ratio.” It’s the amount of credit you’ve used compared to the amount of credit you have available. You have a ratio for your overall credit card use as well as for each credit card.

It’s best to have a ratio — overall and on individual cards — of less than 30%. But here’s an insider tip: To boost your score more quickly, keep your credit utilization ratio under 10%.

Here’s an example of how the utilization ratio is calculated:

Let’s say you have two credit cards. Card A has a $6,000 credit limit and a $2,500 balance. Card B has a $10,000 limit and you have a $1,000 balance on it.

This is your utilization ratio per card:

Card A = 42% (2,500/6,000 = .416, or 42%), which is too high.

Card B = 10% (1,000/10,000 = .100, or 10%), which is awesome.

This is your overall credit utilization ratio: 22% (3,500/16,000 = 0.218), which is very good.

But here’s the problem: Even if you pay your balance off every month (and you should), if your payment is received after the reporting date, your reported balance could be high — and that negatively impacts your score because your ratio appears inflated.

So pay your bill just before the closing date. That way, your reported balance will be low or even zero. The FICO method will then use the lower balance to calculate your score. This lowers your utilization ratio and boosts your score.

2. Pay Down Debt Strategically

Okay, let’s build on what you just learned about utilization ratios.

In the above example, you have balances on more than one card. Note that Card A has a 42% ratio, which is high, and Card B has a wonderfully low 10% ratio.

Since the FICO score also looks at each card’s ratio, you can bump up your score by paying down the card with the higher balance. In the example above, pay down the balance on Card A to about $1,500 and your new ratio for Card A is 25% (1,500/6,000 = .25). Much better!

3. Pay Twice a Month

Let’s say you’ve had a rough couple of months with your finances. Maybe you needed to rebuild your deck (raising my hand) or get a new fridge. If you put big items on a credit card to get the rewards, it can temporarily throw your utilization ratio (and your credit score) out of whack.

You know that call you made to get the closing date? Make a payment two weeks before the closing date and then make another payment just before the closing date. This, of course, assumes you have the money to pay off your big expense by the end of the month.

Take care not to use a credit card for a big bill if you plan to carry a balance. The compound interest will create an ugly pile of debt pretty quickly. Credit cards should never be used for long-term loans unless you have a card with a zero percent introductory APR on purchases. Even then, you have to be mindful of the balance on the card and make sure you can pay the bill off before the intro period ends.

4. Raise Your Credit Limits

If you tend to have problems with overspending, don’t try this.

The goal is to raise your credit limit on one or more cards so that your utilization ratio goes down. But again, this only works out in your favor if you don’t feel compelled to use the newly available credit.

I also don’t recommend trying this if you have missed payments with the issuer or have a downward-trending score. The issuer could see your request for a credit limit increase as a sign that you’re about to have a financial crisis and need the extra credit. I’ve actually seen this result in a decrease in credit limits. So be sure your situation looks stable before you ask for an increase.

That said, as long as you’ve been a great customer and your score is reasonably healthy, this is a good strategy to try.

All you have to do is call your credit card company and ask for an increase to your credit limit. Have an amount in mind before you call. Make that amount a little higher than what you want in case they feel the need to negotiate.

Remember the example in #1? Card A has a $6,000 limit and you have a $2,500 balance on it. That’s a 42% utilization ratio (2,500/6,000 = .416, or 42%).

If your limit goes up to $8,500, then your new ratio is a more pleasing 29% (2,500/8,500 = .294, or 29%). The higher the limit, the lower your ratio will be and this helps your score.

5. Mix It Up

A few years back, I realized I didn’t have much of a mix of credit. I have credit cards with low utilization ratios and a mortgage, but I hadn’t paid off an installment loan for a couple of decades.

I wanted to raise my score a nudge, so I decided to get a car loan at a very low rate. I spent a year paying it off just to get a mix in my credit. At first, my score went down a little, but after about six months, my score started increasing. Your credit mix is only 10% of your FICO score, but sometimes that little bit can bump you up from good credit to excellent credit.

A 3D pie chart calculating the 5 categories that make up a credit score including 35% for payment history, 30% for amounts owed, 10% for credit mix, 10% for new credit and 15% for credit history

5 categories that make up your credit score

I wasn’t planning on applying for credit within the next six months, so my approach was fine. But if you’re refinancing your mortgage (or planning something else really big) and you want a quick boost, don’t use this strategy. This is a good one for a long-term approach.

Bottom Line

When you want to boost your credit score, there are two basic rules you have to follow:

First, keep your credit card balances low.

Second, pay your bills on time (and in full). Do these two things and then toss in one or more of the sneaky ways above to give your score a kickstart.

And remember — you do not have to carry a balance to build a good score. If you do that, you’re on a slippery slope to debt.

What credit score do mortgage lenders use?

Which FICO Score Generation Do Mortgage Lenders Use?

The best-known credit scores are going to fall under either the FICO or VantageScore brands. There are multiple generations of each score brand, as every few years, the score developers create newer versions. So, for example, there’s a VantageScore 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0.

In most lending environments outside of mortgages, it’s hard to know which specific credit score a lender will use to evaluate your application. And, even if you knew your lender used a FICO Score or a VantageScore credit score, you still would not know which generation of the score it is using.

For example, you may apply for an auto loan with one lender that checks your FICO Auto Score 8 based on your Experian credit report. Yet, if you apply for financing with a different auto lender, it may opt to check your VantageScore 3.0 score based on TransUnion data.

The only way to know for sure is to ask the lender which credit report and which credit score version it plans to check, but that isn’t a guarantee that they’ll tell you.

The mortgage industry is different. Because of the aforementioned FHFA mandate, mortgage lenders must use the following versions of FICO’s scoring models:

FICO Model	Description
FICO 9	Newest version. Not widely used.
FICO 8	Most common. Used for Auto and Bankcard lending.
FICO 5	Used by mortgage lenders. Built on data from Equifax.
FICO 4	Used by mortgage lenders. Built on data from TransUnion.
FICO 2	Used by mortgage lenders. Built on data from Experian.

• Experian: FICO Score 2, sometimes referred to as FICO V2 or FICO-II
• TransUnion: FICO Score 4, sometimes referred to as FICO Classic 04
• Equifax: FICO Score 5, sometimes referred to as BEACON 5.0

Why Do Mortgage Lenders Use Older FICO Scores?

The reason mortgage lenders use older FICO Scores is because they don’t have a choice. They are essentially forced to use them.

Unlike every other industry, mortgage lenders don’t have the flexibility to choose the scoring model brand or generation they want to use. Mortgage lenders must follow the direction of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as it pertains to scoring models.

The GSEs play an important role in mortgage lending. These publicly traded companies buy mortgages from banks, bundle them together, and sell them to investors. This frees up funds so that banks can offer new mortgages to additional homebuyers.

For a bank to sell a mortgage to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the loan has to meet certain guidelines. Some of these guidelines require borrowers to have a minimum credit score under specific FICO Score generations.

If a lender uses a different scoring model other than what the GSEs approve when it underwrites a mortgage, it probably won’t be able to sell that mortgage after it issues the loan. This limits the lender’s ability to write new loans because it will have less money available to lend to future borrowers

Link to article below

https://www.badcredit.org/how-to/which-fico-score-do-mortgage-lenders-use/