Getting a home loan when you have credit cards in collections is perhaps possible, but very difficult at any rate. No matter what your FICO score is, having outstanding debt that you have failed to pay prior to your home loan application will make the process very difficult. However, the higher your FICO score is, the better chance you have of getting approved for that loan, however slim that chance may be.

FICO Scores

The unfortunate thing is that your FICO scores will have probably suffered because of the fact alone that you have credit cards in collections. Many people get confused about the difference between a FICO score and a credit score, when in fact they are the same thing. Your credit score, or FICO score, is based on how well you have made your payments, therefore leaving you in quite a predicament if you have your credit cards end up in collections because you have not paid the bills on them.

What Does it Mean to Have Your Credit Cards in Collections?

Having your credit cards in collections basically means that you didn’t pay your bills on time, therefore you have the collection agencies on your tail about payments. This also means that you cannot spend more money on your credit card. Because you have not paid your bills on time to the credit card companies, it makes applying for a home loan more difficult because the lender will see that you have not been able to handle credit, so why should you be able to handle more, especially when it’s such a big thing as a home loan?

The fact that you have credit card companies or collection agencies after you about paying your bills cannot be hidden. The people you are applying for a home loan with will find out what other forms of debt you have hanging over you. Get out of debt, raise your credit score, and clean up your credit score.

Minimum FICO Score Required

The lowest credit score you could get away with and still get a home loan is around 580. However, that is to say nothing of your outstanding debt, like your credit cards that the collection agencies have seized. Any form of debt will make it more difficult to get a home loan because of the potential inability you may have to pay back the loan.

Getting a home loan is difficult in itself, because it is such a large amount of money that you must pay back. Creditors want to know that you will be able to pay back the money that you borrow in order to pay for this house that you are buying. If, in the future, you cannot, then they will almost always take your home from you. Having other debts, especially ones that are difficult to make payments on, will decrease the likelihood that you will ever be able to handle and make payments on a mortgage or other type of home loan.

There are several ways to get a loan out there. For a long time, we have been able to get money for something we need now and pay it all back later. These days, there are hundreds of potential lenders to choose from and apply with to get the money that you need right now, especially guaranteed online personal loans.

Unfortunately, there are several people out there who pretend to be lenders who are actually just trying to get you to give them your money while you innocently assume that you are going to get a fair loan out of it. People like this can be very discrete in their advertisement, making their deals seem like the best you could possibly get, when in all reality, it is all too good to be true. Knowing the warning signs you should look for when searching for a loan is completely necessary if you want to be safe and secure with the lender that you are getting involved with.

With all of these warnings floating around about how there are deceitful lenders, it would be nice to know some of the things to look for and to notice about a potential lender that will give you clues letting you know whether or not they are legitimate. Illegitimate loans can be difficult to spot, but can be revealed if you know what signs to look for. Here are a few tips that will help you, as you search for the right loan, to not get scammed into paying more than you ought to.

1. Payment in Advance

Never give in to “lenders” who tell you that you must make a payment in advance, unless of course you are dealing with your own bank consultant. True and honest lenders will most often not ask for a deposit, because that is not what credit really is. Sure, they may ask for collateral, but that is not necessarily the same thing, so you must be cautious and notice the difference between an attempt to scam you out of your money and the request from a credit card company or loan officer for collateral.

2. Credit Insurance

There are some credit lenders that will give you an agreement that has extra options, like credit insurance. These types of extra options often cost money. By signing the document without reading it, you may be agreeing to pay the fees for extra packages that you do not even need or will not use.

3. Personal Information

Do not give out your personal information, like your driver’s license information and your social security number out to just anyone. Putting this type of trust in someone that you are not absolutely sure is honest and legitimate puts you at risk for identity theft and numerous other types of fraud.

Most legitimate credit card companies or other lending services will not ask for this type of information, so do not settle for a company that asks for this information simply because they have good interest rates. After all, if they are not legitimate, they may end up robbing you blind, so it really won’t matter how low their interest rate offers were.