What's the Score?

If you're thinking about buying, let's talk about something that feels overwhelming but is actually manageable: your credit score. You do not need a perfect score to buy a home, that's a myth.

Hi, I'm Tanja Odzak, Realtor with eXp Realty, helping people sell and buy homes right here in the East Bay for the last 10 years.

According to Fannie Mae, only 32% of potential buyers actually know what lenders look for in a credit score, meaning most people overestimate the minimum needed. A credit score is a three-digit number showing how reliably you pay back what you borrow, based on your payment history and how much debt you carry. Lenders use it to decide whether to lend and on what terms, a higher score generally means less risk to them. But lenders don't require perfection, and the minimum varies by loan type, so even an imperfect score can still qualify.

If you want to boost your score for better terms: pay your bills on time, one of the fastest ways to show lenders you're responsible. Pay down outstanding debt where you can. And hold off on opening new credit accounts, focus on the ones you already have instead.

I'm Tanja Odzak, and I've sold over $100 million worth of homes with a decade of experience in the East Bay. If you're not sure where you stand, let's talk it through, whether this is your first home or your next one.