If I wait until September 30 to apply for the refinance, I'll have these inquiries reporting
TU: 15
EQ: 10
EX: 11
Yes, its a lot... about 9 on each report was from mortgage... and it doesn't count the first round of mortgage pulls which occured 9/22/12
FICO 9: 
Filed Chapter 13 on 6/1/2017 after job loss. Discharged 6/1/2022.
Goal: Gardening!
Filed Chapter 13 on 6/1/2017 after job loss. Discharged 6/1/2022.
Goal: Gardening!
My EQ score rose 5 points yesterday due to my BOA Cash Rewards reporting a $0 balance. My Cap1 should report soon with a $30 balance and my Buckle with $0 balance. I expect to see a little bit more of a jump in score from the small balance reporting. Right now everything is reporting $0, but it will be 3.32% about the middle of this next month. Curious to see if I gain a couple extra points from this. 
So gardening is not so bad now that I have Rewards Cards! I'm liking what I see on my Freedom UR Points Balance. With the Chase 10--10 plan, the points are adding up FAST. My debit card from Chase still gets UR Points when I shop at certain merchants and, I can transfer those points into the Freedom UR Points and that helps all the more!! My Discover Card should have racked up A LOT of cash back points but, they aren't reporting yet, I don't know what's up with that. Also my Blue Cash Preferred rewards are not reporting yet either. I haven't used the Zinc yet but, in spite of that, they sent me several nice restaurant gift cards!!! So, with the lovely rewards, this "gardening thang" is not so bad after all. 
@Anonymous wrote:So gardening is not so bad now that I have Rewards Cards! I'm liking what I see on my Freedom UR Points Balance. With the Chase 10--10 plan, the points are adding up FAST. My debit card from Chase still gets UR Points when I shop at certain merchants and, I can transfer those points into the Freedom UR Points and that helps all the more!! My Discover Card should have racked up A LOT of cash back points but, they aren't reporting yet, I don't know what's up with that. Also my Blue Cash Preferred rewards are not reporting yet either. I haven't used the Zinc yet but, in spite of that, they sent me several nice restaurant gift cards!!! So, with the lovely rewards, this "gardening thang" is not so bad after all.
Yeah, that's an interesting point too.
I've posted about my app spree plan at the end of the year, but my whole attitude has changed regarding it after getting the 1-2-3 Rewards on my BOFA secured card. I know this isn't the end-all and be-all rewards package (admittedly it sorta stinks compared to some that are out there), but it's near equivalent to any rewards card I could obtain at the end of the year unless I'm grossly underestimating how pretty my pig looks with lipstick.
Now I'm thinking just apply for Amex since it's the "smart" thing to do for future backdating, and the rest, who cares. Some Chase product perhaps just to see if I'm taking the inquiry on EX anyway from Amex, and maybe USAA just because they appear to give large CL's to full members... but really, other than the backdating, and that's probably/definitely a "want" for the future, I just don't need anything now that I have at least a decent rewards vehicle.
I guess it demonstrates that setting plans in stone beyond gardening dates when it comes to credit building, really shouldn't be done: the market is changing too quickly.
One more day until the end of the month and I must say my garden is definitely beginning to take shape. My reports are now officially cleared of all negative accounts!!! 
With that, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's a part of the Garden Club for being so supportive of one another. The wealth of information I've been able to learn from you all, along with the ability to focus on staying patient has worked wonders for me, and as a result of that I've been able to inch my family and I closer and closer towards accomplishing our goals. Not to sound repetitive or anything, but I personally feel when something's well deserved, it can never be said enough. So again, thanks everybody and keep up the good work!!! My next goal is to put myself in a position to exercise my first home buyer rights. Wish me luck!!!
Well, this is my first time in the Garden Club, but I'm darned glad to be here. Home closing just finished up on 6/27/12 and we're busy packing so the movers can shift us a whole 5 MINUTES from where we live now. But going from a worn-out rental to our newly remodeled home is a wonderful feeling! With the all-clear from my loan officer, I did a little work on my credit late that evening (trust me - I asked several times if we were completely done and official!).
During the mortgage process I consolidated and closed credit cards, but kept the best that could grow with me or had good terms. As soon as I was "allowed", I requested an increase on the BOA I have, got AMEX Zync to build relationship with them and am now just waiting on my Citi approval. Last date apping was 6/27/12 and will be residing here in the garden until at least 9/1/12.
I will say that I can dump as much fertilizer on my Chase as I want, but that sucker is just not going to blossom or grow. It's got a $4800 limit and I don't see that budging, ever. But it has a great rate on it (in comparison to the way rates run these days), so I'm thinking of it as a nice little hedge... solid and dependable when you need it, but not really doing much.
So I guess I'll just pull out my sun hat (I burn easily) and my chair. The weeds are completely gone - no derogatories, no cards with ridiculous fees or horrible interest rates - just nice cards, with some perks and potential. I will be updating my scores after the mortgage is showing up and the new accounts have all updated. I've still got a couple cards that were paid off and closed that are not fully updated yet and of course, I'd like to see the BOA cli showing too. I do like seeing a squeaky clean CR and I really love having scores over 700!
Starting Score: EQ 622, TU 676, EX 643 (mtg lender pulls) 2/1/12