Lack of real estate secured loan information

VantageScore code numbers

Code numbers can differ by bureau and score version. The wording of the statement is what to match.

What puts this reason on your score

VantageScore defines a real estate secured loan as a first mortgage, a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. Its explanation for the related first mortgage code says a mix of open, active account types, including first mortgages, can help. With none on file, the model has less to go on.

It's a common top reason on very high scores. A sample TransUnion score summary published by 700Credit lists it first on an 805 VantageScore 4.0, and the 3.0 score on the same report lists the 3.0 version, code 65. On a strong file it marks where the last points are.

What to check on your credit report

• A mortgage you have or co-signed that's missing from a report
• A paid-off mortgage, which should still show as closed
• Nothing else. If you've never had a home loan, the code is accurate.

What you can do about it

• Leave it alone. Don't take out a loan to change a reason code.
• Buying a home clears it once the new mortgage reports.
• If a mortgage you have isn't showing at a bureau, ask the servicer which bureaus it reports to.

How soon a change can show

It goes away after a new mortgage starts reporting, usually within one or two monthly cycles after closing.

If you are applying for a mortgage

This code doesn't stand in the way of a first mortgage. Lenders expect first-time buyers to have no mortgage history, so keep your attention on balances and payment history.

Guides that go deeper

• How much credit mix counts in your scoreCredit mix is 10% of a FICO Score, and FICO says you don't need one of each account type. The math on taking a loan just to improve mix rarely works.
• Getting your credit mortgage-ready in 12 months, month by monthA month-by-month credit plan for the year before a mortgage: what to check, what to fix, what to leave alone, and the timing rules underwriters use.
• VantageScore 4.0 mortgages: who it helps and how to ask for itA paid collection, medical bills or a short history can score higher on VantageScore 4.0, which mortgage lenders can now use. What that's worth in price.
• Rent reporting services: what they cost and which bureaus they reachReported rent helps only in scores that read it, at bureaus that receive it. Which scores use rent, how it gets reported, and what a service costs.
• What your credit score reason codes are telling youReason codes list what held your score back the most, in order. What the common ones mean, which you can act on, and which to leave alone.