Clean Up Your Credit Score Before Buying a Home in Florida (Orlando & Miami): A Simple Plan That Works

If you’re planning to buy a home in Florida—especially new homes in Orlando or new homes in Miami—your credit score can directly affect your mortgage rate, your monthly payment, and even whether you get approved.

The good news: “cleaning up” your credit doesn’t mean doing anything complicated. It means doing the right moves in the right order—without making mistakes that drop your score right before you apply.

At Rey New Homes, I help buyers get ready to purchase with clarity. Here’s a practical plan you can follow.

1) Know what lenders actually care about (before you start “fixing” anything)

Most buyers focus on the score alone, but lenders look at three big areas:

1. Payment history (late payments hurt the most)

2. Credit utilization (how much of your available credit you’re using)

3. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) (your monthly debts vs. income)

Your strategy should improve these—not just “move numbers around.”

2) Pull your credit reports and look for errors first

Before paying anything, check your credit reports for:

• accounts that aren’t yours

• incorrect late payments

• wrong balances or limits

• duplicate collections

• outdated negative items still showing

If you see errors, dispute them properly. Fixing inaccurate data can improve your profile faster than any “credit hack.”

Rey tip: Don’t rely only on a score app. You need the actual report details.

3) Lower credit utilization (this is one of the fastest improvements)

Utilization = balances compared to your total credit limits.

What to do:

• Pay down revolving balances (credit cards) strategically

• Keep balances low relative to limits

• If you can, pay before the statement closes so the reported balance is lower

Rule of thumb: Lower utilization typically helps more than closing accounts. Which leads to the next point…

4) Don’t close credit cards right before a mortgage

Many people think closing cards “cleans up” credit. Often it does the opposite because it can:

• reduce your total available credit

• increase utilization

• shorten or weaken your credit profile

Unless a lender or credit professional specifically tells you to close something, avoid doing it during your mortgage prep window.

5) Avoid new debt and new inquiries while you’re preparing

In the 60–90 days before pre-approval (and especially before closing), avoid:

• financing furniture

• opening new credit cards

• taking out personal loans

• large “buy now pay later” activity

• heavy credit shopping outside the mortgage window

Even if you get approved, new debt can change your DTI and trigger a re-check.

6) Handle late payments, collections, and charge-offs the smart way

If you have late payments or collections:

• Get clarity on what must be paid for loan approval (depends on loan type)

• Avoid random payments without a plan—some actions can “reset” timelines or complicate documentation

• Focus on improving the overall profile: on-time payments, reduced utilization, stable accounts

Important: There isn’t one universal rule. FHA, conventional, and other loan types can treat these items differently—so the plan should match the loan you’re targeting.

7) Build consistency: on-time payments and stability win

Credit improvement is rarely one big move. It’s consistency:

• pay on time every month

• keep balances controlled

• maintain stable spending

• avoid big financial changes during the process

If you do only two things: never miss a payment and keep card balances low, you’re already improving your mortgage readiness.

8) Time your pre-approval correctly

A strong mortgage pre-approval in Florida is not just a letter—it’s leverage when you’re negotiating a home, especially in desirable communities.

When you’re close to ready:

• choose a lender

• discuss your target loan type (FHA vs conventional vs jumbo)

• confirm what score/DTI thresholds matter for your scenario

• get pre-approved before shopping seriously

Rey tip: If you’re buying new construction, timing matters even more because you may lock terms and plan your closing window differently.

A simple 30–60 day credit clean-up checklist

If you want something straightforward, start here:

• Review reports for errors and dispute if needed

• Pay down credit card balances (prioritize utilization)

• Set autopay for minimums (then pay extra if possible)

• Avoid new credit inquiries and new debt

• Keep spending stable and documentable

• Get pre-approved when your profile is consistent

You don’t need perfect credit to buy a home in Florida. But you do need a clean, stable profile that lenders trust—so you qualify for better terms and avoid surprises.