Credit score

Lenders care most about payment history and utilization. Paying every bill on time and keeping balances under ~30% of each card's limit moves the needle faster than anything else. A single missed payment can cost dozens of points and lingers for years.

For a mortgage, the key thresholds are roughly: 680+ for the best A-lender rates, 600–680 for alt/B lenders, and below 600 for B or private with a credit-repair exit plan. A co-applicant's score matters too — lenders often use the lower of the two.

Checking your own score is a soft pull and never hurts it. A mortgage application is a hard pull, but multiple mortgage inquiries in a short window are treated as one, so letting a broker shop your file doesn't stack damage.