Need some advice

[coleypop]

I am new here and this may be long so forgive me in advance. I recently applied for DR Hortons Homebuyers Club in hopes they can help me and my husband work on our credit to get approved for the home we want. Well they told me my credit doesn't even qualify for their credit repair program. I know my scores are bad but didnt think they were as bad as they said. My middle score is a 502. My husbands is a 579. You need a 540 to get into the program. My husband can get in but he won't qualify for the home on his own. What I am getting at is this, I need some advice on how to go about rebuilding my credit. I am completly devestated by the scores. This is a brief description of what is on my credit report. I am waiting on my lender to send me the most recent report they pulled as I do not have a copy in front of me but wrote some of the info down from a previous pull I did.

Medical from 2011-$341

Medical from 2008-$175

Medical from 2011-$620

Medical from 2011-$230

Medical from 2011-$561

Medical from 2011-$245

Capital One Charge off from 2011-$259

Chase Charge Off (reports 120 days late on equifax) from 2010-$629

AT&T from 2011-$173 (Just reported this year)

Capital One Paid in 2008 and closed zero balance

A charge off from Dell for $2200 from 2011. No longer reporting but sold to Midland(which will pop up soon)

These accounts have been updating this year and last year and the LO was looking at those dates instead of the DOFD which would show clean credit since 2011.

Good standing accounts

Kays card-opened 2009 never late

Two Car Loans-$16,000 & $17,000 opened in May of this month hasn't been late

Student loans current-50,000 and in deferement

Should I get a secured card, should I try to get those medical collections deleted, what should I do about those charge offs? I am at a complete loss. I know about the GW letters PFD letters, Verification letters, I just don't know if I should do them in this case. This 502 credit score is hurting my feelings more so then my wallet. I've made mistakes but as you can see in 2011 everything happened. My son was born and bills got out of control. We could not afford those medical bills  and I still have other medical bills that I am paying on to keep from going to collections. Any advice is welcome! I would love to buy a home by this time next year! Thanks

[guiness56]

Welcome to the forums.

First thing I would do is get my free reports from annualcreditreport.com.  I from each CRA every 12 months.  These are the most accurate and detailed reports.

EQ will list a DoFD, TU and EX will list a fall off date. 

Are the medical all from the same place?  If they are, contact them and see if they offer any type of financial assistance.

For Chase and Cap 1 I would try to get them paid.  Those balances are factoring into your overall utilization and further damaging your score. 

Same with AT&T.

They will not change the fact they are CO'd or collections but they will be paid.  Once paid start sending out GW letters.