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That $300 credit report audit saved my rental approval
I paid a local credit repair guy in Austin 300 bucks to go through my reports line by line before I applied for a duplex. He found two old medical collections that were past the statute of limitations and got them disputed off in about 3 weeks. My score jumped 60 points and the landlord approved me without a cosigner. Has anyone else paid for a full audit instead of just using the free report sites, and did it actually help you land a place?
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elliot_roberts4d ago
Is there any reason not to have someone who does this stuff daily poke through your reports? The free sites are fine for a basic look, but they don't really tell you what a landlord is gonna see or what's worth fighting. I paid for something similar a few years back, and the guy found a duplicate account from a utility company that was dragging my score down for no reason. Took him a week to get it killed, and it was like the difference between a maybe and a yes on my application. Most people don't realize the free reports only show you the surface, not the stuff that's been reported wrong for years. If you're already dropping money on application fees and deposits, $300 to actually get approved is nothing.
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pat_roberts554d ago
That "duplicate account from a utility company" part really hit home. I had almost the exact same thing happen. A old cell phone bill got reported twice under two different spellings of my name, and I had no idea until a landlord mentioned it. The free sites just showed me a number and a couple of late payments, nothing about the mix-up.
It's frustrating because you think you're on top of it, but the bureaus are a mess. That $300 feels like a lot until you're about to lose a place you really want. I'd rather pay someone who knows the system than keep guessing. Most people won't know what to look for, and that's not their fault.
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