I filed for chapter 13 in January 2011 and it was discharged April 2016. Nearly all of the debts I had were medical with only about $3000 in credit card debt and a default on my mortgage (which was because of unscrupulous behavior on the bank's part. I received a settlement as part of a class action lawsuit due to this.) Unfortunately I have had a medical emergency since then and now have another $2000 in unpaid medical debt on my credit report. I have no other debt besides my mortgage which I have paid on time for the last 5 years. I also have no other credit in my name. I'm wondering the best way to go about rebuilding credit so that I can refinance my home, since I am currently locked into the 7% interest rate I had when I bought my house. My credit score is currently only about 600 and since I am self-employed my income can be unpredictable. The good news is, I have grown a lot of equity in the house (it's worth about $150K more than what I owe). Does anybody have any advice on the best steps to take now? I'm scared to apply for credit cards because I know it knocks down your score every time you apply, and I don't want to bother if I'm just going to get denied.
