By the end of this guide you will have a prioritized plan to raise the credit score a lender will actually use on your mortgage, plus a way to check your standing without a hard inquiry. Before you start, gather access to your free credit reports, a list of your debts and balances, and a rough home-buying timeline. Duane Buziak walks through each step from a Lynchburg broker’s perspective, in the order that tends to move scores the most.
Written by Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647 | Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC NMLS #376205
Step 1: Pull Your Credit Reports and Know Which Score Matters
Start at AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source, and request reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. As of 2026, the three bureaus offer free weekly access, a change that became permanent in 2023. Confirm the current policy on the site, since terms can change.
A credit report is the history: accounts, balances, payment records, collections, and inquiries. A credit score is a number calculated from that history, and there are many versions. Mortgage underwriting has traditionally relied on older FICO models, so the score on a free app, often a VantageScore, may not match what a lender pulls. The Federal Housing Finance Agency has moved to allow newer models such as VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for conforming loans (see FHFA), but adoption varies by lender and program. As of 2026, ask what model your lender uses rather than assuming.
Now make one decision: write down the middle score of your three bureau scores. Lenders generally use the middle number. On a joint application, they typically use the lower of the two borrowers’ middle scores, though you should verify this per program.
Mistake to avoid: paying a credit repair company before you have read the reports yourself. Most of what they do, you can do free.
Checking your own score does not lower it. A hard inquiry from a lender can. That is where NoTouch Credit comes in: Duane Buziak can review your standing with a soft pull that does not affect your score, so you see where you are before any hard inquiry.
Step 2: Dispute Errors and Clean Up Collections the Right Way
Read each report line by line and flag specific problems:
- Accounts you do not recognize
- Late payments with wrong dates, or lates on accounts you paid on time
- Balances reported higher than what you owe
- The same collection listed twice
File disputes directly with each bureau online, attach documentation such as statements or payoff letters, and keep copies of everything. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate; the CFPB explains the dispute process and current timelines. Dispute with each bureau that shows the error, since a fix at one does not automatically carry to the others.
Collections: decide before you pay
Do not pay or settle a collection blindly. Paying it will not raise the score under every model, and some programs treat unpaid collections differently from others. FHA and VA manual underwriting rules, for instance, have their own thresholds, so check current HUD and VA guidance. Ask a loan officer how the specific program you are targeting handles the account before you send money. Also get any payoff agreement in writing.
Mistake to avoid: disputing accurate items hoping they disappear. A verified item stays, and you will have spent weeks you needed for steps that work.
Step 3: Lower Your Credit Card Utilization Below 30%, Then Toward 10%
Utilization is your balance divided by your credit limit, calculated on each card and across all cards. It is one of the fastest levers because it updates as soon as new balances are reported.
Take a card with a $5,000 limit and a $3,000 balance. That is 60% utilization. Paying it down to $1,500 brings it to 30%, and paying it to $500 brings it to 10%. Scores generally keep improving as utilization falls, with the best results usually at low single digits to about 10%.
- Find the statement closing date on each card. It is not the due date.
- Pay before the closing date. The balance reported to the bureaus is usually the statement balance, so paying only by the due date can leave a high balance on your report even if you never carry interest.
- Start with the card closest to its limit. Per-card utilization counts, so one maxed card can drag a score even when your overall number looks fine.
- Leave a small balance on one card if you like; reporting a tiny balance is fine.
Mistake to avoid: closing paid-off cards. Closing one shrinks your total available credit and can push utilization up. Keep older, no-fee cards open and use them lightly.
Step 4: Build a Flawless Payment Record Starting Today
Payment history is the largest factor in FICO scoring. myFICO lists it at about 35%, with amounts owed next at about 30%. Confirm the current breakdown on their site.
Set autopay for at least the minimum on every account, then put each due date on a calendar as a backup. A missed autopay from an empty checking account still counts as late.
Bring any past-due account current immediately. Many lenders get cautious about a 30-day late reported within the last 12 months, and rules differ by program, so ask early rather than guessing.
If you already slipped once on an account with an otherwise clean record, write to the creditor and request a goodwill adjustment. Some will remove a one-time late. Treat that as a bonus, not a plan.
Rent and utility reporting
If you have a thin credit file, optional rent-reporting services can add on-time rent payments to your reports. The caveat: not every mortgage score model counts that data, so it can help your consumer scores without changing the score your lender pulls. Ask before paying for it.
Step 5: Protect Your Score While You Wait: What Not to Do Before Closing
From now until closing, avoid anything that adds debt or changes your file:
- Do not open new cards or finance a car. New debt changes both your score and your debt-to-income ratio.
- Do not co-sign for anyone.
- Do not move large, unexplained deposits between accounts, and tell your loan officer before any job change.
Underwriters re-verify much of this shortly before closing, so a surprise can stall a file that looked finished.
How inquiries work
A hard inquiry happens when a lender pulls your credit to make a lending decision, and it can lower a score slightly. A soft inquiry, such as checking your own credit, does not. Scoring models generally treat multiple mortgage inquiries inside a short window as one. The window is commonly cited as 14 to 45 days depending on the model, so verify what applies. That is why comparing mortgage offers is safe when done within a tight timeframe.
Still, you do not need a hard pull just to begin. A single-shelf bank or lender typically requires one to pre-approve you. Duane Buziak’s NoTouch Credit approach lets you start without one, so you can decide whether to move forward before your score takes any hit.
Step 6: Match Your Improved Score to the Right Loan Program
Different programs treat scores differently. The figures below are typical guidance as of 2026 and vary by lender, so verify against current HUD, VA, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidance.
| Loan Type | Typical minimum score guidance (as of 2026) | Down payment | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | Commonly 620 | As low as 3% on some programs | Pricing improves noticeably as scores climb, and mortgage insurance costs fall too |
| FHA | 580 for 3.5% down; 500 to 579 may require 10% down | 3.5% to 10% | More flexible on scores, but many lenders set higher floors |
| VA | No official VA minimum; lenders set their own, often 580 to 620 | 0% for eligible borrowers | Eligibility comes from service, but approval still depends on the lender’s overlays |
| USDA | No fixed program minimum; automated approvals often start near 640 | 0% in eligible areas | Property location and income limits apply alongside credit |
A lender overlay is a requirement stricter than the program’s own rules. One bank may demand a 640 on a loan the program allows at 580. Duane Buziak, as an independent broker, can shop hundreds of wholesale lenders for one whose guidelines fit your profile, which matters for many veterans in the Lynchburg area, since VA sets no minimum but each lender does.
What a better score is worth: an illustration
These rates are illustrative examples, not quotes. Suppose a $300,000, 30-year fixed loan:
- At a 640 score with an example rate of 7.25%, principal and interest is about $2,046.54 a month, or $736,754 over 360 payments.
- At a 740 score with an example rate of 6.50%, it is about $1,896.20 a month, or $682,632 over 360 payments.
The difference is about $150.34 a month and roughly $54,122 over the full term. Real rates depend on the day, the loan, and your file.
Step 7: Get a Soft-Pull Pre-Approval and Dare to Compare
When your score is where you want it, request a NoTouch Credit pre-approval from Duane Buziak at (434) 443-7028. It uses a soft pull, so there is no hard inquiry.
Then use Dare to Compare. Bring a quote from a bank or credit union, such as Atlantic Union Bank, CrossCountry Mortgage, or Freedom First, and Duane Buziak will show you the wholesale alternative. The comparison is structural, not personal: those are reputable lenders, but one bank has one rate sheet and one set of overlays, while a broker compares many. A score one bank turns away may fit another wholesale lender’s guidelines.
Local agents will want to see a pre-approval letter before showings. In neighborhoods near Blackwater Creek Trail or Percival’s Island, where buyers often make decisions quickly, having the letter in hand simply lets you act when the right house appears.
For market context, the Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page for Lynchburg city lists the median value of owner-occupied housing units from the American Community Survey. Check the figure and its survey year there, then compare it to your target price so you know what down payment and loan size to plan around.
Recheck in 60 Days, Then Take the Soft-Pull Route to Pre-Approval
After 30 to 60 days of changes, pull all three reports again, confirm that disputes resolved and balances posted, and note your new middle score. Then contact Duane Buziak at Lynchburg Mortgage Broker by Duane Buziak for a no-impact review and a pre-approval.
Ready to take the next step toward homeownership in Lynchburg? Schedule your free consultation today to explore loan options tailored to your goals, with no-impact credit pre-approval using VantageScore 4.0 and expert local guidance every step of the way. See your loan options without a single credit hit. Bring us your current quote and we’ll shop it against hundreds of wholesale lenders. Call (434) 443-7028. NMLS #1110647. Pre-approval is soft-pull, with no hard inquiry.
