Understanding Your Credit Score Before Applying

What is a credit score? You should know before applying for a manufactured home loans.

Before deciding on what terms LoanJunction.com will offer you on a loan (which we base on the "risk" to us), We want to know two things about you: your ability to pay back the loan, and your willingness to pay back the loan. For the first, We look at your income-to-debt obligation ratio. For your willingness to pay back the loan, We always consult your credit score, whether your going on a bad credit mobile home loan or not.

The most widely used credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. Your FICO score is between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk).

Credit scores only consider the information contained in your credit profile. They do not consider your income, savings, down payment amount, or demographic factors like gender, race, nationality or marital status. In fact, the fact they don't consider demographic factors is why they were invented in the first place. "Profiling" was as dirty a word when FICO scores were invented as it is now. Credit scoring was developed as a way to consider only what was relevant to somebody's willingness to repay a loan.

Past delinquencies, derogatory payment behavior, current debt level, length of credit history, types of credit and number of inquiries are all considered in credit scores. Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report. Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.

Different portions of your credit history are given different weights. Thirty-five percent of your FICO score is based on your specific payment history. Thirty percent is your current level of indebtedness. Fifteen percent each is the time your open credit has been in use (ten year old accounts are good, six month old ones aren't as good) and types of credit available to you (installment loans such as student loans, car loans, etc. versus revolving and debit accounts like credit cards). Finally, five percent is pursuit of new credit -- credit scores requested.

Your credit report must contain at least one account which has been open for six months or more, and at least one account that has been updated in the past six months for you to get a credit score. This ensures that there is enough information in your report to generate an accurate score. If you do not meet the minimum criteria for getting a score, you may need to establish a credit history prior to applying for a manufactured home mortgage. 

In the United States, a credit score is a number typically between 300 and 850, based on a statistical analysis of a person's credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of that person, which is the likelihood that the person will pay his or her bills. A credit score is primarily based on credit report information, typically from the three major credit bureaus.

In the US, three major credit reporting agencies (often times inaccurately referred to as "credit bureaus"), Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, also calculate their own credit scores. Scores, many with trademarked names, differ by what they are meant to predict, statistical methods used to determine a score, as well as what information is used and how it is weighted. For example, Beacon, Beacon 5.0, Beacon 96, and Pinnacle scores are available only from Equifax; Empirica, Empirica Auto 95, Precision Score, and Precision 03 at TransUnion; and Fair Isaac Risk Score at Experian. While these versions are developed for the agencies by Fair Isaac, they differ and are periodically updated to reflect current consumer repayment behavior. The NextGen Score is a scoring model designed for consumers. Other consumer scores are published by MyFICO.com and by Community Empower (the CE Score).

In 2006, in an attempt to make scoring more consistent, the three major credit reporting agencies introduced VantageScore. VantageScore uses a different range from FICO (from 501 to 990) and also assigns letter grades from A to F to specific ranges of scores. A consumer's VantageScore may still differ from agency to agency, but the discrepancies would be entirely due to differences in the information reported to the various agencies, not due to differences in scoring models. Since FICO is still widely used by lenders, the agencies continue to offer FICO scores (or their closest equivalent) as well.

Most scores use a multiple-scorecard design. Each version may use individual scorecards, and an individual is typically compared with other consumers. (For example, a borrower with two 30-day late payments will be scored against a population with some similar delinquencies.) The individual is then graded according to which variables indicate a repayment risk in that group.

Nearly all large banks also build and use their own proprietary statistical models for credit scoring purposes, often in conjunction with outside scoring formulas.

Makeup of the credit score

   

Credit scores are designed to measure the risk of default by taking into account various factors in a person's financial history. Although the exact formulas for calculating credit scores are closely guarded secrets, the Fair Isaac Corporation has disclosed the following components and the approximate weighted contribution of each:

• 35% - punctuality of payment in the past (only includes payments later than 30 days past due)
• 30% - the amount of debt, expressed as the ratio of current revolving debt (credit card balances, etc.) to total available revolving credit (credit limits)
• 15% - length of credit history
• 10% - types of credit used (installment, revolving, consumer finance)
• 10% - recent search for credit and/or amount of credit obtained recently

The above percentages provide very limited guidance in understanding a credit score. For example, the 10% of the score allocated to "types of credit used" is undefined, leaving consumers unaware what type of credit mix to pursue. "Length of credit history" is also a murky concept; it consists of multiple factors - two being the oldest account open and the average length of time an account has been open. Although only 35% is attributed to punctuality, if a consumer is substantially late on numerous accounts, his score will fall far more than 35%. Bankruptcies, foreclosures, and judgments affect scores substantially, but are not included in the somewhat simplistic pie chart provided by Fair Isaac.

Current income and employment history do not influence the FICO score, but they are weighed when applying for credit. For instance, an unemployed individual with no other sources of income will not usually be approved for a home mortgage, regardless of his or her FICO score.

There are other special factors which can weigh on the FICO score.

• Any monies owed because of a court judgment, tax lien, or similar carry an additional negative penalty, especially when recent.
• Having more than a certain number of consumer finance credit accounts also carries a negative weight (critics say that this causes a vicious cycle, locking people into continuing to use consumer finance companies).
• The number of recent credit checks also can weigh down the score, although credit agencies usually claim to allow for credit checks made within a certain window of time to not aggregate, so as to allow the consumer to shop around for rates.

Free annual credit reports

As a result of the FACT Act (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), each legal U.S. resident is entitled to one free copy of his or her credit report from each credit reporting agency once every twelve months. This information is available at the only government-sanctioned credit reporting agency-operated website, annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by mailing the Annual Credit Report Request Form. To guard against inaccurate information or fraud more often than yearly, one can request a report from a different credit reporting agency each four months. However, the free report does not contain a credit score, though a credit score may be purchased at the time of access. Requesting a credit report will subject you to "pre-screened" offers of credit cards. To prevent all three credit bureaus from making your address available to credit card companies for this purpose, you may opt out by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).

 Mobile Home Loans Q & A  

• What is the Fico range for good, fair & bad credit rating with manufactured lending?
  Good credit is usually defined as the borrowers with few if any past or present collections, good income & credit over 680 fico. Fair credit borrowers would have more deragatories, lower income & credit from 600 fico to 679. Generally bad credit is those clients with a previous bankruptcy or significant ongoing collections and/or leins, significant debt, lawsuits amd/or past or present ongoing foreclosure and a credit score of 599 and below. (in some cases credit score is not the only determining factor for a fair credit loan. We will always try to qualify you fair credit first)
• What is debt to income ratio?
  Debt to income ratio is the calculation used by us to determine how large of a loan balance your income can support. Typically this calculation is figured by adding all your bill's minimum payments due each month, your space rent & new mortgage payment divide by your gross income.
• What is the lowest down payment I can put down: for good credit 5% down on land home & in park. In some case we allow for 100% financing when getting the home at a significant valuation.
• What loan term will be best for me?
  This depends on your goals. If your goal is to pay off the home quicker then a shorter term is suggested. If your goal is lowest payment then a longer term is best.
• What will my closing costs be?
  Good credit borrowers never pay points & the closing cost for these borrowers is usually $1300 to $1800. Bad credit borrowers will usually have to pay points. Typically, our closing cost ranges from $2700 to $4800 depending on the loan size. (In some cases bad credit borrowers may require more closing cost depending on overwhelming negative factors)We do have no closing cost programs.
• Can I consolidate bills? Yes. In some cases we actually may have to pay bills to get your debt versus income inline.
• Can the seller assist with down payment?
  Not on good credit loans. In CA, OR & WA we have a program where the seller can assist with securing part of the risk in a bad credit mobile home purchase loan... they may also assist with closing cost, repairs, fire insurance and home warranty. We do allow gift for down payment. 
• What items must be prepaid?
  There are no pre-pay items. Typically we allow you to finance into your new bad credit purchase loan up to 2 year of fire insurace, 2 years of a home warranty program, closing cost and up to 6 months of space rent.
• How long is quoted interest rates good for?
  Called a rate lock, under normal instances we lock the rate for 60 days which is free to the client. 
• How long will the approval take?
  With a complete file and motivated client approvals take 30 minutes with loan closings in as quick as 3 days for bad credit & 7 days for good credit.
• Will the loan have a prepayment penalty?
  Absolutely not. Even with a bad credit standing we won't be assigning a pre-pay penalty. 

• Experience.
  Founded in 1999, LoanJunction.com has processed and funded 10's of thousands of mobile home loans.
• Customer Service.
  We are only as good as our last clients says we are. That's why with every customer we'll move mountains for the privilege to be your lender. With caring staff, 24 hour customer service & online account management we intend to move mountains for you for years to come.
• Financial Resources.
  LoanJunction.com is a national lender drawing upon over 4 billion in investment capital for our clients needs. 
• Track Record.
  You don't get to be a proud AAA rated Better Business Bureau company by doing things the wrong way. We intend to keep it that way.
• Community Support.
  We have a larger responsibility to support our clients long after the transaction is done. Please visit our Park Crime Prevention Page to join us in keeping our park communities safe and crime free; Also As rent control advocates, no one is more out spoken about keeping our parks free of exuberant & predatory rent increases.
• Technology.
  With an eye on the 22nd century, our client management services are second to none. Our award winning online operations coupled with 24 live customer service, automated bill pay and rate decrease notifications we stand at the forefront of mobile home lendings' long awaited technological revolution.
• Hands On.
  There are no substitutions for rolling up the sleeves to get the job done right. That's why each client is assigned a proven & considerate account executive to oversee the loan transaction from start to finish. This is your guy or gal in the trenches with their "hands on" approach.
• Accountability.
  Each staff member is 100% accountable to you and your needs. Whether the loan has unforeseen difficulties, or tough measures need to be taken, our staff from the president on down will always field your calls and/or concerns.

Last Updated:  Thursday, January 03, 2008 

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