Bring everything positive. Even if some things are not considered officially it does help establish to the parties involved the type of character you have. Everyone works a little harder to get the deal done if they are confident that you are the type of person who is going to be responsible. The same as you made sure they are responsible.

We work with renters all the time, and yes - you can use a letter of good standing with payment details regardless of if your landlord is a property management company or not. Any kind of documentation that shows good credit history is valuable to you in the underwriting process.

We conduct FHA business in 48 states and deal with this sort of thing all the time. If you'd like to see about qualifying for a loan, get in touch with me and I can help you through the process.

Your rent payments are not considered a tradeline on your credit report, but it has a negative impact in underwriting if you have alot of lates on it. These kinds of things can go both ways, and it definitely depends on the lender you go with. If you have any questions, feel free to call me - I have guidelines for tons of banks all over your area and can place you in a loan.

Kellen Gracey
Mortgage Professional
BayBurg Financial
(386)237-7231

Matthew, yes it is if it is properly documented. You can find more information on my blog @ http://www.madmortgagemachine.com. FHA is a great home loan product for the first time home buyer and now with the $8000 tax credit it is a great time to buy. Get pre-approved first and then let's find a Realtor that can best suit your needs.

Dave Woodson
The Indiana FHA Expert

HI Matthew
Did you find a home allready ? Or your just preparing ahead of time so you know what to look for ?
Jessica , Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Schererville IN

Hi Metthew, You should be talking to a Bank or a mortgage broker . Every lender is defferent. Every state is defferent. But yes, you can use your monthly utility bills, statement from a landlord and so on to obtain a loan.

Lending answer:

Timely rent history is a key qualifying criterion, especially with FHA insured mortgages.

To prove rent history, you must provide the most recent 12 months of cancelled checks for rent as part of the documentation needed to qualify for a loan. Printouts from your bank's website are acceptable if the image shows front and back.

A letter from the landlord may be acceptable if the landlord is a property management company or holds a property management license in Indiana. You lender will require the landlord to complete a standard Verification of Rent form provided by the lender.

If you have paid a private inividual by cash, money order, or other instrument that is not clearly traceable to you, it will be more difficult.