Is now a good time to buy? What trends are affecting the value of my home? What new economic policies will be shaping my real estate decisions in the coming months?

March 2012 Market Update Opportunities in the housing market continue to grow for buyers and sellers. Home affordability, driven mostly by record low interest rates, is among the lowest it has ever been. According to the National Association of Realtors, and based on national averages, the payments on a home today represent 12.8% of the [...]

When you take out a loan, your lender will review your credit report from independent companies that monitor your credit.

Your credit report is a compilation of three key factors: your credit history, information from employers, and financial information gathered from public records.

Taken together, all this information is used to create your credit score, which is usually between 300 and 800.

The higher your score, the more likely you will be to get favorable loan terms from your lender.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to improve your credit score:

• Be consistent and punctual when it comes to payments
• Keep your balances well below the maximum. Accounts with high
balances can hurt your credit score
• Don’t take out more credit cards than you need
• Be careful of opening or closing accounts near your closing date, and …
• Watch your credit to debt ratio