Can you get a home loan?

@NativePortlander1970 Many banks won't take us as a 'couple' even though we live together, so they look at our situations seperately not together.

@mksworld That's not what I asked, I know numerous couples that cohabitate that have gotten approved, and considered together.

@NativePortlander1970 we don't have enough for a 20 percent deposit to avoid us also having to be slugged with LMI (Lenders Mortgage Insurance) which is the main one at present. Neither of us have any other forms of credit so credit scores are meaningless.

@mksworld No utility bills or rent check receipts, what about car loans and insurance payments, credit card payments? Those actually affect your credit score.

@NativePortlander1970 We have no forms of credit - isn't that clear enough? Bills, etc. have no part in credit score assessment if we don't fall into arrears. The brokers we're talking to do credit score checks and said as much. It's funny because people think you have a 'bad' score if you don't have credit or have bills that get seriously into arrears and that if you don't have any sort of credit you're a 'bad citizen' 8-)

@mksworld You never paid even one utility bill that was in your name ever in your life?

@NativePortlander1970 Missing the point - because we've never fallen into arrears seriously enough to require enforcement/recovery actions to be started none of that gets recorded on a 'credit file'. So it's not factored into 'credit score' calculations. Of course we pay bills - but we nearly always pay them on time and the few times we've fallen behind it's never got to the stage of being 'delinquent' (which is when such actions get recorded on credit file databases).

@mksworld No, you're missing the point, paying utility bills, in your name, on time, HELPS to build positive credit, your timely payments are recorded as well.