Scores range between 200 and 800.  Scores above 620 are considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage.  These factors will affect your credit score:

Your payment history: Whether you paid credit cards and other things on time.

How much you owe:  Owing a great deal of money on various accounts can indicate that you are overextended.

The length of your credit history: In general, the longer the better.

How much new credit you have: New credit, whether installment loans or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay promptly.

Generally, it is desirable to have more than one type of credit- installment loans, credit cards and a mortgage, for example. For evaluating and understanding your credit score, go to www.myfico.com.

This article was used with permission from www.realtor.org.