Indianapolis Area Real Estate Blog

Real Estate Terms - FICO

The basis of most mortgage lending is credit scoring.  In general, the higher a person's credit score, the lower his offered mortgage interest rate. Despite the many credit scoring models in use today, however, just 3 are relevant to American homeowners:

  • The Equifax BEACON® score
  • The Experian Fair Isaac Risk Model
  • The TransUnion EMPIRICA®

Generically, these scoring models generate what are commonly known as 'FICO' scores. FICO scores are measurements of probability. 

The higher a person's credit score, by definition, the less likely a person is to default on his home loan. 

This is one reason why credit scoring has added importance lately -- mortgage lenders are very careful about what they're lending and to whom. Notably, minimum FICO thresholds have been added to all types of mortgage loans. FICO scoring has 5 main components as listed above. 

Payment history and credit capacity are two of the largest pieces, but a myriad of other factors contribute to a credit score, too.  For example, the longer your reported history of managing credit, the more favorably your credit score will respond.

The myFICO.com website does a terrific job with credit education, explaining in plain language the ins-and-out of credit scoring and ways to boost your score.  It also makes a free, 20-page PDF available for download.  Whether you're a homeowner or lifetime renter -- consider it required reading.

Post a Comment

Blog Archives

Posts By Category

All Categories Buyer Resources (59) Community News (37) Home and Family (36) Home Maintenance Tips (14) Homeowners (34) Homes for Sale | Listings (25) Indianapolis Things to Do (62) Indy Photo Spot (5) Lifestyle Communities (4) Local Indy (42) Market Statistics (87) Mortgage News and Info (49) Parks and Recreation (12) Random Thoughts (19) Real Estate News (73) Real Estate Terms (15) Relocation Tips (8) Seller Information (41) Upcoming Events (3)

Posts By Month

Blog Roll

Homes in Hendricks County
Grab Our RSS Feed
New Listing Alerts

Be one of the first to know when new listings matching your criteria hit the market.

Get New Listings
Relocation Guide

Find your next home and learn about neighborhoods, current market statistics, and local schools.

Free Relocation Guide
Free Market Analysis

Our free service provides you with a detailed estimate of your home's current market value.

Get a Free Market Analysis