*another side note* FINAL STATS after closing APR 3.875%, Principal Balance $251,973.24 with Escrow (definitely recommend doing that) Escrow Balance 2,854.91 so Principal is 372.96+Interest is 813.66+Escrow is 518.39 = $1705.01 monthly payment but please keep in mind I only had 10k down payment if I had the 20% down my payment would be a lot cheaper and middle score of 715 with Less than a Year average of History but I also had no late payments and no derogatory marks 
*sorry forgot to add my history besides credit since I'm sure that helped?!* With same job for a little over 2 years and making 60k/year! 
I did this on my information alone if I had my fiance put his I'm sure we could have possibly received more just food for thought!
@Girlzilla88 wrote:*sorry forgot to add my history besides credit since I'm sure that helped?!* With same job for a little over 2 years and making 60k/year!
How long has it been since you were able to have a FICO score at all? You know how no one has a FICO score until 6 months after opening an account on their credit file...how long since that time?
A year and 6 months ago I had no credit history, no public records...just nothing. I opened a credit builder loan and just made the monthly payments on it for a year before I even tried to get my first credit card 6 months ago. I got a Mastercard cash back rewards card through my credit union at $2000 CL. 3 days later I got a Visa Signature card through Citi at $6500 CL.
My middle mortgage score - EQ 5 at 708 - is about to see a jump this next week. It might be 10-15pts, since I saw a +17pt jump at AoYA 3 months, and now this AoYA 6 months jump gave me +12pts on EX 2, my highest mortgage score (733).
I'm waiting until next year to get my final card - AMEX Blue Cash Everyday - and then I'll just let everything age right up to the mortgage application. I just found out through my own observations that 'Length of time revolving accounts have been established' isn't 'how long someone has had credit cards in their entire life' - it's related to accounts opened in the last year. You take the hit in points and it gradually goes away over a year as I'm finding out.
Your data is absolute gold for so many people out there! Mine will be at a mortgage score of 760 probably with 20% down...lol who cares.
Ok so for that part my stats were correct in the fact I started to build my credit in February 2018 started out with a Secured card and a Secured Loan paid that off in 6 months dropped my derogs then the end of 2018 literally November 2018 I refinanced my car I got and opened 2 Unsecured cards then changed my secured card to an unsecured card so I had 3 cards at this time and a LOT lower apr and applied in middle Feb after my score popped back up a bit. Try not to touch your account or open new cards at least 6 months before that is best if at all possible I would wait til after CLOSING on the home to open your next card so that way it doesn't drop your AAoA like mentioned but I did 4 months before when I should have done the mortgage in December it just was to early since my lease didn't end until July this year and I didn't want to pay to cancel the contract otherwise I would have had a middle 755 score and possibly got a lot better deal but Meh oh well
@Girlzilla88 wrote:Ok so for that part my stats were correct in the fact I started to build my credit in February 2018 started out with a Secured card and a Secured Loan paid that off in 6 months dropped my derogs then the end of 2018 literally November 2018 I refinanced my car I got and opened 2 Unsecured cards then changed my secured card to an unsecured card so I had 3 cards at this time and a LOT lower apr and applied in middle Feb after my score popped back up a bit.
So you start in February 2018, then 1 year and 4 months later you're in your own home! Pretty freakin' cool!
I really should have opened 2 secured cards along with that credit builder loan. That was a great move on your part.
+1. Subscribed. lol
LOLOLOLOL thank you and yes it was a super tough year but well worth it if you ask me I wish I would have known about credit earlier so I could have done this years ago but live learn and share so hopefully people don't make the same mistakes
Your Scoreboard is very cool do you update it or does it auto update?!
I've been a member of these forums since the beginning of May, Cassie Card, and you and Girlzilla88 have posts that are so helpful! I am about a year and a half out from applying for a mortgage but have seen so many insightful posts! I just have to sit on my hands so that I don't APP again!! LOL! I see you live in MA, Cassie, like me. What part of MA are you looking to purchase a home in?
Thanks for these posts, and keep them coming!
You're very very welcome it's why I do it! <3