Excellent Score but denied credit card - Looking for ideas

[Jim2013]

I had excellent credit with over $50k limit on over 14 cards. 

Moved outside the US in 2004, discovered an ID theft in 2010 with several collection accounts going back to 2008; credit cards, phone, utilities, ..etc

Score was down to upper 500 low 600. It took me 2+ years to resolve and got my credit score back to : Experian 767; Equifax 766; TU 778

I am planning to move back to the US soon and want to buy a house or condo in the next 12 months .Just carious on how to rebuild . I am being denied credit due to:

No recent payment history

Few credit cards

4 credit inquires , I disputed 2 (equifax) and most likely I will get them removed, anther one will expire early next year

I  have fraud statement on all CRA files, meaning I can't apply online

Currently I have only two open credit cards with only $1000 and 1 Amex business card $3000 but doesn't show on credit report

Just carious if the step below will help and if there is anything else I need to do

I am thinking of taking a personal secured loan against a CD account at my bank when I am back

Also, I will try  to obtain a secured credit card from the same  bank and I will make sure I prequalify at the branch before I apply for one 

I have applied for a $3000 secured credit card  that doesn't do credit inquiry and got the OK  and should have it in the next few days going to my forwarding address in the US

I appreciate any more ideas

[RobertEG]

Collections, even if paid, are score-killers until they reach credit report exclusion, which appears years away.

If they remain unpaid, they can kill future credit approval, regardless of score or credit report exclusion.

What is the status fo the collections?  If paid, have you attempted to get GW deletions?

[Jim2013]

The collections were all deleted completely , the police report was good enough for the removal

that  added about 100+ point on each of my  CRA report

[guiness56]

Are you rebuilding because you have been outside the US for several years?

Did you have any CC overseas that could be transferred to the US?

What about the ones you had prior to leaving?  Can those be reopened/activated?

[Jim2013]

I am rebuilding due to weak credit as a result of identity they and no credit payment for the past 6 years because I was residing outside the US. So I need to reestablish credit. The current score I have (770) is due my past good credit

Most of the credit cards I had were closed with the exception of 3 where the limit was lowered considerably. I can't transfer any credit cards from outside the US

[bahbahd]

I'd apply for personal Amex PRG since you have an existing relationship with Amex. 

You are saying that the two open personal cards are not reporting any payment history at all? This sounds kinda strange. I've never had an account I had to charge to show positive history. Only charge once every few months to keep open.

If you have to, just order Netflix streaming service as a monthly charge on one of the two personal cards for a monthly charge? Order spotify streaming music service and bill monthly to another card?

Edit: if you have any paid satisfactorily installment loans that still appear on your report that were paid off in the past 7-10 years, I'd not focus on a personal loan just to obtain more history. 

[tonyjones]

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@RobertEG wrote:

Collections, even if paid, are score-killers until they reach credit report exclusion, which appears years away.

If they remain unpaid, they can kill future credit approval, regardless of score or credit report exclusion.

What is the status fo the collections?  If paid, have you attempted to get GW deletions?

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They are score killer but left unpaid most CC companies will approve you. I recently got denied because I had a few baddies that were $0 but paid but one that was not. Citibank told me that if I got that collection paid and show proof they would approve it. Even as a paid collection it's better than an unpaid collection.

[guiness56]

All of his collections have been removed.  His problem is a thin file, no payment history for 6 years.