Cherish M. was connected to the CredEvolv platform by her loan officer at Guaranteed Rate – a simple warm handoff that turned a frustrating “not yet” into a clear plan forward when she couldn’t qualify for a loan.
Three credit cards were suffering from high balances, one was over the limit, and a few old dispute comments made her file look messy. Her starting point told the truth in numbers – TransUnion 601, Equifax 608, Experian 607.
Homeownership felt far away, but it wasn’t impossible.
With her counselor, Cherish built a clear, repeatable rhythm of good financial habits.
- First came stabilization. She turned on autopay to cover balance minimums, then targeted pay-downs before statement cutoff dates, so lower balances would actually be reported.
- But the biggest lever was utilization. She moved a maxed-out card back under its limit and drove overall revolving use from about 102% down to 34%, then into the 16–18% range. That change drove most of Cherish’s early gains.
- Her counselor simultaneously cleaned up the reports by removing old dispute notes, documenting every investigation properly, getting a 30-day late corrected and deleted, and helping remove a charge-off from two bureaus.
Mid-journey, Cherish got the mortgage with her loan officer at Guaranteed Rate and walked out with keys in hand — a big win.
And she didn’t stop there. She chose to keep working with CredEvolv.
At her counselor’s advice, she opened a new trade line – which caused a brief dip in one bureau (normal when a large installment account first reports) – but they had planned for it. She guarded her revolving balances, avoided new debt, and kept on-time payments flawless while the mortgage aged in. As balances normalized, her scores climbed again.
By the time the dust settled, the improvement was unmistakable.
- Her TransUnion score rose from 601 to 713
- Equifax rose from 608 to 673
- Experian rose from 607 to 719
Most importantly, she crossed the finish line that mattered – she qualified for a mortgage and became a homeowner.
Cherish did not walk away. She stayed in the program. Together, she and her counselor watched the one thing that was most likely to erode progress, which was her credit utilization.
Her utilization rose at times, but she and her counselor used the same playbook to course-correct: pay before statement deadlines, keep every card under 30% utilization, and aim for under 10% utilization when possible. That steady discipline pulled her balances down, stabilized her scores, and protected her new mortgage.
What made this work was not a single heroic move. It was a simple system repeated well. In the end, the difference was having a trusted guide. Working with a HUD-certified credit counselor kept every step clear, compliant, and doable – turning a tough start into a funded mortgage, stronger credit, and confidence that lasts.