Title: Does having a top-notch credit score really make home buying easier?
I totally get what you mean about lenders wanting predictability over “personality.” I’ve seen buyers with 800+ credit scores get tripped up just because they shuffled funds between accounts right before closing. One time, a client of mine decided to consolidate a couple savings accounts into one, thinking it’d make things tidier for the underwriter. Instead, it set off a week-long paper trail nightmare—suddenly we were explaining every transfer, and the whole thing almost derailed the closing date.
Credit score definitely opens doors, but it’s not a magic pass. Underwriters are all about the story your finances tell, and if that story gets too complicated, they start asking questions. It’s wild how even something as simple as moving money from checking to savings can raise eyebrows. I always tell folks: during escrow, just let your accounts sit quietly... no sudden moves, no surprises. It’s boring, but it works.
