This is called using other credit. A year of on-time rent and bills can show the lender you pay what you owe.
Another way is to open one small card, use it a little, and pay it off every month. A few months of that starts a score.
Can I buy a house if I have no credit history?
Sometimes, yes. Some loans, like FHA, let a lender look at your rent, phone and utility payments instead of credit cards.
More questions
- Is my Credit Karma score the score a mortgage lender sees?Usually not. Credit apps show a different kind of score than the ones mortgage lenders use, so the numbers often do not match.Read the answer
- Will getting pre-approved hurt my credit?A pre-approval pulls your credit, and that can move your score a few points for a short time. Shopping for a mortgage within a short window usually counts as one pull, not many.Read the answer
- Can I buy a new home with bad credit?Often, yes. We can start from as low as 580, and if your score needs a boost, we can help with that for free.Read the answer
- How long do I need to be at my job to buy a house?Lenders like to see about two years of steady work. That does not have to be one job: a new job in the same line of work usually counts.Read the answer