Most of us cannot afford to buy our homes with cash and need financing. When you are considering buying a home it is important that you know how your credit score (FICO) is calculated. Your FICO score will be used in determining what your risk is and which will determine your interest rate.

Your FICO score is based on 5 different categories:

Payment history is 35%
What they are looking for here is if you pay your bills on time. Also any past history of judgments, bankruptcy or collections will effect this number.

Amounts owed is 30%
What is your ratio of debt owned to debt available? The higher the percent of debt owed to debt available the lower your FICO score will be.

Length of credit history is 15%
How long has your account been active? If you have had an account for ten years that will help your score more than an account that has only been open one year. If you have many credit cards and are considering closing some, this is a factor to consider.

New credit is 10%
This includes the number of new accounts compared to accounts that have been opened for a longer time and also new credit inquiries.

Types of credit is 10%
What type of accounts do you have, credit cards, retail stores, mortgages, installment loans etc.

Remember when you hear those ads on the radio trying to sell you something, there is no magic pill or fairy dust to repair your credit. Paying your bills on time and not carrying to large of a balance is the best way to keep your score high. Those tactics will be the best ways to keep your credit score healthy and get the best finance rate you can when buying a home.

For more information take a look at myfico.com