You’ve found your dream house – GREAT! Now the fun begins working with your lender to get the best interest rate and terms possible for your new mortgage.  Your credit score is  the main factor in determining the interest rate that you are offered.

More and more, lenders (as well as employers) are looking at your social media posts to determine the level of risk you may be for the loan.   Here are some things that they find on Facebook/ Linkedin/ Twitter that can affect an applicant’s rates:

• Posting that you just quit your job/ hate your job
• Sharing that you and your boss do not get along or that layoffs are looming
• Job post or length of time on a job does not match application
• Posting a picture of a new car/ boat/ appliances that the lender does not know about
• Sharing about current or past financial problems
• The caliber of your FRIENDS and their posts may affect you!
• Posting marital problems

It is important to be proactive and protect your credit score. You can check your credit reports from the three credit bureaus  for free at annualcreditreport.com  (they try to sell you a bunch of add-ons, so do not get suckered into paying  a dime!).   It is best to do this about 6 months before you start house hunting to give yourself time to handle any issues or mistakes that you may find on the reports.