Mortgage and Lending Resources
Mortgage resources
WRA legal resources
Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine articles
WHEDA resources
Credit and homeownership counseling resources
Encourage homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers and homebuyers with no credit history or a marginal credit standing, to attend credit-counseling classes:
Down payment assistance
Consumer information
Reverse mortgages
Credit reports and credit score resources
Buyers should be encouraged to find out their credit score and obtain a copy of their credit report from a national credit reporting agency.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) allows consumers to get one free comprehensive disclosure of all of the information in their credit file from each of the three national credit reporting agencies once every 12 months through a
central source.
Additional credit reports and scores may require a fee.
- Equifax provides credit reports and credit scores.
- Experian (formerly TRW) provides credit reports and credit scores.
- TransUnion provides credit reports and credit scores.
- Consumers can obtain their FICO credit scores and credit reports from www.myfico.com.
Predatory lending resources
WRA homebuyer handouts
REALTORS® can distribute these handouts to the buyers they work with.
Milwaukee partnership to stop predatory lending practices
The Milwaukee Fair Housing Counsel and its partners have begun an initiative to identify and eliminate predatory lending practices. The Strategies to Overcome Predatory Practice (STOPP) coalition will combat predatory lending by outreach, education, research,
financial options and enforcement in Milwaukee County. Predatory lending involves practices such as charging borrowers excessive rates and fees, refinancings with high points and fees, and lender failure to disclose all financing costs. Borrowers
and potential borrowers may call the coalition's consumer line at 414-278-9190 for advice and help.