HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development representives says all web advertising should have the HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development Logo.

Have you posted listings in Craigs List, Zillow, Google Base and an array of other sites.

Should everyone be using the HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development logo on their advertising?.  To get an answer to this question I called the DC HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development regional office and asked the HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development Rep if the HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development Logo should be displayed on different websites we advertise homes on and the answer I got was “If you want to stay out of trouble we definably advise you use the HUD US Department of Housing and Urban Development Logo on all advertising”.

What are your thoughts?

When facing a home repair job that needs electrical home improvement, you should consult a professional, or hopefully take a class at your local building supply store for the best results. This article will expose some of the primary concerns when tackling the wiring in your home. Learn what to avoid and how to make the project one that is executed correctly.

Safety First

When working with electrical current and wires, it is advisable to wear rubber soled shoes to avoid being shocked. There are still other dangers involved, but this is one that is often overlooked. Also, make sure that the surrounding environment you are working in is clear from any water. Water and electricity do not mix. If you are using tools for your electrical home improvement, make sure that all of the cords are safe and clear of any damage. Caution - Make sure to check them when they are unplugged, and if you find any open wiring on any of the cords be sure to tape them with some good quality electrical tape or discard them and use a cord that you know is safe.

Start With A Smaller Project

Before you take on an electrical home improvement project, it is better to start with something you have more confidence or experience with. Changing a light switch might be a good place to start You could make some decorative changes to the light switches while you are learning about wiring in your home.

Installing A Circuit Box

One of the bigger electrical home improvement jobs that you may face is, changing out an old circuit breaker box and installing a new one. If you live in a home that was built several years ago there is a good chance that an electrical home improvement project is in order for this area of the home. Before beginning this type of project you should consult with your local electrical supply store. If you are the least bit unsure of yourself you should definitely consider having a licensed professional electrician do this job for you. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Try Installing a Ceiling Fan

One electrical home improvement project you might want to try is to install a ceiling fan in the bedroom or family room. This is a rather simple project if you are careful. If you purchased a new ceiling fan it should come with some detailed instructions for installation. If you are installing a ceiling fan that did not come with directions, you can usually find help at your local building supply store. Another tip for this type of project is to make sure you have some electrical tape and twist nuts for the wires. When tackling your next electrical home improvement project, make sure that you?re well prepared and stay safe.

OK, so you have a little (or maybe not so little) problem with your credit report. All is not lost, but you will have to dedicate some effort and time to “fix or repair” your credit score. Keep in mind that it took more than 30 days to screw your credit score up, so make sure that you follow the basic guidelines of restoring it.

There’s a lot of jargon and information you need to know before you start your repair project. Repairing your credit score is not brain surgery but you do need to adhere to some basics in order to accomplish your goal of a higher credit score. There’s a lot of misinformation out there about just exactly what a credit score is and how you improve it.

Don’t Get Ripped Off

Another problem with credit repair is there are 100’s if not 1000’s of scoundrels out there that prey on the unsuspecting person with less than stellar credit. They will make unrealistic claims that promise to fix anything for a price. And the worst part is that not only will they take your money, they can actually cause damage to your credit score

Our less than perfect credit rating system is regulated by the government. Which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. But you should know a few facts and don’t get fooled.

You can also get a FREE credit report from all three major credit bureaus. Don’t pay for something that you can get for FREE. Go o the Federal Trade Commission’s site here to get the full details: ftc.gov

The only catch 22 is that you don’t get a credit score with your credit reports. But if you have been turned down by a creditor (or given what you think is an unfair rate) you can request the information from them and they will provide the score they used to determine your rate.

But it’s still pretty clear on the credit reports what might be having a negative impact on your credit score. So these reports are the first step in working on raising your credit score.

And keep in mind there are no secrets, no special methods, and certainly no one has any better chance than you, the owner of the credit score, to repair or fix your credit score.

What Is A Credit Score?

Foreclosures Real Estate homes REO

Plenty of folks who review this article have the same opinion that it not only helped in their pursuit for HUD information but also helped them with REO homes listings and the housing market. I wish it has so far granted you with intuitive information related to foreclosures, directly or other related perspective such as VA REO; Even if it hasn’t so far, the diversity in this site will.

A credit bureau, or credit repository, is an entity that gathers information about consumers’ credit histories. Your credit history/report includes information regarding the following items:

Identity information such as your name, address, social security number, spouse and date of birth.

Payment habits such as how promptly you have made payments to previous creditors.

Public records such as records of arrests, indictments, convictions, lawsuits, tax liens, marriage, bankruptcies, and court judgments.

Debts

Other relevant credit data Information concerning your current employment such as the position you hold, length, and possibly your income.

Information about your personal history such as the number of dependents you have, your previous addresses and information about your previous employment.

Credit bureaus sell credit reports to credit grantors, such as banks, finance companies, and retailers. Credit grantors use credit reports to determine whether or not a potential borrower is creditworthy.

There are three major credit bureaus in the United States:

Equifax: 800-685-1111
Experian: 888-397-3742
Trans Union: 800-916-8800

These three bureaus provide nationwide coverage of consumer credit information. The credit bureaus are a for-profit system that generates billions of dollars in revenue each year from selling copies of credit reports to creditors and mailing lists. Trans Union made 1.5 BILLION dollars last year.

It is essential to understand that Credit Bureaus are nothing more than record keepers, and sometimes not very good ones. Consider the fact that these organizations are tracking millions of people with up to 40-50 entries per individual. In all fairness, I can’t even type a letter without making a couple of typos.

So mistakes happen, wrong information gets into the wrong file, and all three credit bureaus don’t talk. They are competitors so they don’t share information and all three can generate a different score. They all loosely base these scores on the FICO method.

FICO scores are based on 22 pieces of data collected by the three major credit bureaus. The lowest possible score is 300, while the highest is 850. None of the credit bureaus will apply these methods exactly the same and also may not have the same data so it’s common to get a different score from each one.

The lending companies (or creditors) will usually use this FICO based score provided to determine the risk of lending money or granting credit. The higher your score, the less risk, so the lower the rate. The difference in credit cost can be dramatic. If you are applying for a $216,00 mortgage and have a score of 630, your rate could be $1568 per month at 7.89%. If your rate was 680, you could get a rate of $1394 at 6.7%. That’s a $2100 per year difference so you can see how 50 points can have a big impact on your credit cost.

Basic Repair/Fixing Methods

You often hear that you should dispute (challenge) any and all negative information. But most people don’t know or advisors fail to mention that the creditor and the credit bureau may declare the disputes “frivolous” and not have to respond. So before you go crazy on disputes, keep that in mind. Many of the negative items do have a time limit imposed, depending on the item. Here’s a good set of guidelines on what to challenge:

– Information is not based on you (mistaken identity)

– Information is inaccurate based on what actually occurred.

– Information is outdated - there was an issue but it has been resolved.

– The time limit on the information has occurred.

– The information is totally incorrect with no valid basis

So once you have requested your FREE copies of your credit reports, you need to review them to find any inaccurate or false information. When you find a negative entry that you want to dispute, you need to send a letter of dispute, or file the dispute on line directly from the credit bureau website. Some say the online method is much quicker and since USPS does take days it probably is faster. The credit bureau has up to 30 days to verify the dispute with the filer of the negative information. If you forget to give all the necessary information and they request more information they can get an additional 15 days (total 45).

You can get a sample credit dispute letter here: www.newcleancredit.com/creditdisputeltr.pdf. So it’s important to make sure you provide all required information to shorten the process. Once filed the credit bureau will respond to you with the results.

The good news about our credit reporting system is that time marches on and you can start improving your credit score immediately. Most experts in the financial industry agree that the last 18 months is the most important. Try and negotiate any negative items that are true (bring payments up to date, settle old claims, work out new payment plans, whatever). Most creditors will be more than willing to work with you if you make an honest effort in resolving the negative issue. But make sure the creditor agrees to update your credit record.

You can also make sure any good credit information is listed. If you have credit experience that is favorable, write or contact the creditor and as to have it added to your credit report. Many times good information is never reported. You can also open new credit accounts from creditors and pay them off early (even if you have the money to pay cash) to get addition good credit entries.

Get our Free Repair Your Credit In 30 Days Guide for more details on how to raise your credit score here: new clean credit

Everyone should check his or her credit report each year. It’s now Free and won’t take much time as long as you stay on top of it. You can request one credit bureau at a time every 4 months and have a good idea of what’s been entered in the past 12 months.

New Clean Credit is a website that provides free information on Credit Repair. Along with their Free Repair Your Credit In 30 Days Guide they have a large amount of articles on just about every credit related subject. Increase your credit score today. Click here to learn more: newcleancredit

Jim Baines is a staff writer for the New Clean Credit web site. Jim has worked in the credit industry for over 20 years and helps address credit repair issues for our users