Effective May 1, 2024 the Township of Ocean, in accordance with P.L.2021, c.182, (all New Jersey single-family and two- family rental dwellings must be inspected for lead-based paint hazards if the home was built before 1978 and you are renting for a period of 6 months or more.) If you fall into this category please complete this application and submit it along with the fee of $120.00 established by the Township of Ocean Ordinance #2431. This fee includes the mandated fee to the State of New Jersey per application. The only exception would be if you previously received a ‘Lead Free Certificate’ from a licensed company and can present that to the Inspector

This will be another step in the process and the Rental CCO cannot be issued without same being completed and paid for. As a result this will add time to the process. Please allow at least 3 business days for this to be complete. We receive may last minute requests for Rental CCO inspections. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate that with this new law. We thank everyone for their anticipated cooperation and put this out as an FYI so you are prepared for this.

For more information, contact Ocean Township Code Enforcement Administrator, Kenneth J. Pieslak at (732)531.5000 ext 3378

Click here to access Ocean Township Lead Paint Hazard Inspection Application

Ensuring fair and accurate market value is paramount when navigating the purchase or sale of a home. Avoiding overpayment as a buyer and setting a realistic price as a seller hinges on understanding the current market landscape. This is where a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) comes into play.

What exactly is a CMA?

In essence, it’s a tool wielded by real estate professionals to gauge a property’s market worth. By scrutinizing recently sold, pending, and listed properties akin to the subject property, agents derive a comprehensive overview of its value.

But how does one go about conducting a CMA effectively? Let’s delve into the fundamental steps:

1. Property Assessment: Commence by thoroughly inspecting the subject property. Note down distinctive features and amenities room by room. Details like cabinet types, countertop materials, and notable appliances contribute to the property’s allure and eventual valuation.
2. Public Data Compilation: Access publicly available data on the property via the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This yields crucial information such as square footage, lot size, room count, and historical sales data, laying the groundwork for comparative analysis.
3. Comparative Analysis: Select comparable properties that closely resemble the subject in terms of location, size, age, condition, and amenities. Recent sales within the past three to six months serve as prime benchmarks. Adjustments for discrepancies in features between properties require finesse and experience to ensure accuracy.
4. Current Market Insights: Augment the analysis with current listings and pending sales. While less concrete than sold properties, these listings provide insights into prevailing market trends and pricing dynamics.
5. Environmental Factors: Consider external factors that may influence property value, such as upcoming developments or infrastructure projects. These can either bolster or detract from the property’s appeal and subsequent valuation.
6. Market Evaluation: Assess the broader real estate market environment to discern whether it favors buyers or sellers. Understanding prevailing trends, such as inventory levels and bidding activity, informs pricing strategies.
7. Presentation: Compile the findings into a comprehensive yet accessible format for the client. Incorporate visual aids like color pictures of comparable properties to enhance clarity. Clearly articulate suggested list and sale prices to facilitate informed decision-making.

Ultimately, a well-executed CMA empowers clients to make sound decisions in the real estate realm. Whether buying or selling, it serves as a guiding beacon, ensuring transactions are grounded in current market realities rather than speculation.

Please call me Gloria Benarocc

Have you ever tried to sell a house before? It can be a very stressful and frustrating experience, especially if you’re not familiar with the real estate market. There are many factors to consider, such as finding the right real estate agent, pricing the house correctly, and staging it for potential buyers. On top of that, there’s always the risk of unexpected costs popping up during the process. And in today’s market, it can be challenging to find a buyer who is willing to pay the price you’re asking for.

However, there are ways to make the process of selling your house much smoother and more straightforward. By working with a reputable real estate agent who has a proven track record of success, you can ensure that your house is marketed effectively and priced correctly. Additionally, by making strategic improvements to your house before putting it on the market, you can increase its value and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Lastly, by being patient and understanding that the real estate market can be unpredictable, you can avoid making rash decisions that could hurt your chances of selling your house at a desirable price. With the right approach, selling your house can be a successful and stress-free experience.

There are plenty of interested home buyers out there but the number of available homes for sale remains low. That creates challenging affordability conditions as it helps push home prices higher. It also creates an opportunity for home builders.That means home builders are ramping up construction of new homes to help meet demand from buyers. The increased supply will not only help new-home shoppers but also buyers of existing homes, as any increase in the total number of available homes for sale relieves upward pressure on home prices. However it will likely not be for another 6 mos until they’re built.

Some Thoughts on Condition

Of all the things homeowners control when selling their home, the condition of the property is one of the most important.

A crucial part of marketing any product is the presentation of the product. Corporations and

retail businesses understand this concept and pay millions of dollars each year to advertising and marketing consultants to get the best advice possible.

The same is true for real property. In order to compete effectively with other sellers, homeowners must present their homes to the marketplace in an attractive, desirable condition. When you bought your home, you probably comparison shopped. Well, buyers

are still doing that today. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average purchaser looks at 10 to 20 properties prior to purchasing a home. Regardless of how many properties are on the market, available buyers will always seek the best-priced property that is in the best condition.

Think Like a Buyer!

for the pdf report click here

The housing market has been going through shifts lately. That’s why it’s so important to work with an industry professional who can be your guide throughout the process.

A real estate expert uses their knowledge of what’s really happening with home prices, housing supply, expert projections, and more to give you the best advice. Someone who can provide clarity like that is critical right now. Jay Thompson, Real Estate Industry Consultant, explains:

“Housing market headlines are everywhere. Many are quite sensational, ending with exclamation points or predicting impending doom for the industry. Clickbait, the sensationalizing of headlines and content, has been an issue since the dawn of the internet, and housing news is not immune to it.”

Unfortunately, when information in the media isn’t clear, it can generate a lot of fear and uncertainty in the market. As Jason Lewris, Co-Founder and Chief Data Officer at Parcl, says:

“In the absence of trustworthy, up-to-date information, real estate decisions are increasingly being driven by fear, uncertainty, and doubt.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Buying a home is a big decision, and it should be one you feel confident making. You can lean on an expert to help you separate fact from fiction and get the answers you need.

The right agent can help you understand what’s happening at the national and local levels, and they can debunk headlines using data you can trust. Experts have in-depth knowledge of the industry and can provide context, so you know how current trends compare to the normal ebbs and flows in the industry, historical data, and more.

Then, to make sure you have the full picture, an agent can tell you if your local area is following the national trend or if they’re seeing something different in your market. Together, you can use all that information to make the best possible decision.

After all, making a move is a potentially life-changing milestone. It should be something you feel ready for and excited about. And that’s where a trusted expert comes in.

One of the benefits of being a homeowner is that you build equity over time. By selling your house, that equity can be used toward purchasing your next home. But before you can put it to use, you should understand exactly what equity is and how it grows. Bankrate explains it like this:

“Home equity is the portion of your home you’ve paid off – in other words, your stake in the property as opposed to the lender’s. In practical terms, home equity is the appraised value of your home minus any outstanding mortgage and loan balances.”

Majority of Americans Have a Large Amount of Equity

If you’ve owned your home for a while, you’ve likely built up some equity – and you may not even realize how much. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and ATTOM, the majority of Americans have a substantial amount of equity right now (see graph below):

And having such large amounts of equity is a benefit to homeowners in more ways than one. Rick Sharga, Executive Vice President of Market Intelligence at ATTOM, explains:

“Record levels of home equity provide security for millions of families, and minimize the chance of another housing market crash like the one we saw in 2008.”

Over time, your home equity grows. In addition to providing financial stability while you own your house, when you’re ready to sell it, that money could go a long way toward paying for your next home.

What’s the Difference Between a Hard and Soft Credit Check?

BY 

CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ

– UPDATED: AUGUST 2, 2022

We may be compensated when you click on links from one or more of our advertising partners. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone. Terms apply to offers below. See our Advertiser Disclosure for more details.

When a lender or creditor is considering offering you a line of credit or a loan, they’ll check your credit to help determine whether or not to lend you money.

These inquiries can take the form of a hard inquiry, which does affect your credit score, or a soft inquiry, which does not. The type of credit inquiry performed will depend on the person or company pulling your credit information.

In this article, we’ll explain the differences between the 2 types, give you some common examples of both, and let you know how much each type will impact your credit.

What Is a Hard Credit Check?

A hard inquiry (or hard pull) is used to determine whether or not you’re eligible to be given a loan or credit card. If you apply for credit — like a mortgage, auto loan, or credit card — the lender will check your credit report and credit score from 1 or more of the major credit bureaus.

When a company requests a hard inquiry on your credit, it will receive your entire credit report, which will show things like lines of credit, loans, your payment history, and any amounts that went to or are currently in collections. It can also include additional places that you might have applied to get credit — whether that’s a car loan, mortgage, student loan, or credit card.

Because these inquiries are tied to an actual credit application, they’re considered hard inquiries, and they can affect your credit score. Your permission (via credit card application, mortgage application, etc.) is required for lenders to make hard inquiries on your credit. These pulls can lower your score, especially if you have several of them within a short time span. Credit inquiries make up 10% of your overall FICO score.

Who Uses Hard Inquiries?

Hard inquiries are used by companies to make sure you’re likely to pay back the loan you’re requesting or the lease you’re signing.

Here are the most common users of hard inquiries:

Lenders and Credit Card Companies

Lenders and credit card companies use a hard inquiry to make an informed financial decision on whether or not to loan you money or a line of credit. This will be the case whether you’re applying for a mortgage, a student loan, or a new credit card.

One exception is with some banks that have specific requirements, such as “receiving a bonus within the past 48 months” or Amex’s “1 bonus per card per lifetime” policy. If you’ve been denied a credit card based on these reasons, you usually won’t see a hard inquiry show up on your credit report. This is because banks typically use the information they have on file for you to conditionally approve or deny you prior to pulling your credit.

Landlords

Landlords can choose to run either hard or soft credit inquiries. Usually, when you submit an application for an apartment, the landlord will include a form that will ask your permission to run a credit check. Some landlords go through third-party background and screening companies who do a hard pull since you must give your Social Security number.

This isn’t always the case as landlords can choose to use services offered by 1 of the 3 major credit bureaus instead. These are considered soft pulls and the landlord will receive a modified report.

Common Hard Inquiries

The most common hard inquires will occur when you submit:

• Apartment rental applications
• Auto loan applications
• Credit card applications
• Mortgage applications
• Personal loan applications
• Student loan applications

How Hard Inquiries Impact Your Credit Scores

Applying for a credit card or a loan will result in a hard inquiry on your credit report. As we noted earlier, inquiries make up 10% of your overall FICO score.

But how will your overall score be impacted? Well, 1 hard inquiry might lower your score from 0 to 5 points, depending on your credit history. If you have even more inquiries, this will be further magnified. In general, once you hit 7+ inquiries on your credit report, you should expect to see a significant drop of 50+ points in your credit score.

This shouldn’t be a reason to avoid applying for credit since a hard inquiry is required to get the credit card or loan that you want. If your score is high enough, it will have little impact (if any) on your creditworthiness.

Problems arise when you have too many hard inquiries in a short period of time. This can be concerning to lenders since it’s a sign of poor money management — opening a lot of new credit accounts may mean you’re having trouble paying bills and are at risk of overspending.

Bottom Line:Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to how much your score will be impacted by a hard inquiry — this will vary based directly on your individual credit history and the number of inquiries on your credit report. The good news is that unless you are carrying out multiple hard checks, it’s unlikely to have much of an impact in the long term. 

How “Rate Shopping” Is Treated

What do you do if you’re looking to get a mortgage or an auto loan and want to make sure you’re getting the best rate? The good news is that rating agencies understand that several inquiries in a short period of time (30 days per FICO’s scoring model) are common when looking for the best rate, and they’ll group those inquiries into a single hard inquiry on your report.

Note that this occurs only if the inquiries are for 1 category of qualified loans — a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan. While a hard inquiry will always impact your credit score, this grouping of inquiries results in a smaller impact than multiple, separate inquiries.

Hot Tip:Hard inquiries are rarely the reason you might be denied credit since they don’t affect your credit score as much as other factors like credit utilization and length of credit history.

How Long Inquiries Stay On Your Credit Report

We recommend checking your credit report at least once a year to ensure that all of the information is accurate. You’re entitled to 1 free report per bureau per year through AnnualCreditReport.com. These reports will show all of your financial accounts along with any hard inquiries on your report.

Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for just over 2 years, but FICO weighs them less as time passes. Even if you have multiple hard inquiries in a span of just a few months, it’s still unlikely a potential lender will give them too much consideration.

How To Dispute Inaccurate Hard Inquiries

If you’re checking your credit report as we’ve recommended above, be sure to look for any inquiries you don’t recognize. This could be a sign that someone may have applied for a fraudulent credit account in your name. Also, simple errors in classification can happen.

Either way, if you spot an erroneous pull, notify the credit bureau immediately to dispute it. Write a letter explaining the error and include a copy of your report with the error highlighted or circled.

The bureau will investigate and respond within 30 days. Credit bureaus are legally required to remove the hard inquiry from your report if it is inaccurate, and once it’s removed, you should see your credit score return to its prior level. You should also reach out to the financial institution that ran the credit check to let them know that you did not request it.

Hot Tip:Read our complete guide on how to dispute errors on your credit report.

What Is a Soft Credit Check?

A soft inquiry (or a soft pull) shows the same information that we’ve noted above for hard inquiries. This includes lines of credit, loans, your payment history, and any amounts that went to or are in collections.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of soft inquiries, they can occur without your permission. The good news is that because soft inquiries aren’t tied to any applications for credit that you’ve done yourself, they’re only visible on your own credit report with a few exceptions:

• Insurance companies may be able to see other insurance companies’ soft inquiries.
• Inquiries by debt-settlement companies you have authorized to access your report may be shared with your current creditors.

Who Uses Soft Inquiries?

Since soft inquiries don’t require your approval, it’s important to know who can access them — here are the most common users of soft inquiries:

Yourself

The most common instance of a soft inquiry would be when you monitor your own credit report. This includes services you use to monitor your credit score, like Credit Karma (review) or Mint. These can be pulled weekly, monthly, or as you request them.

Employers

The modified credit report that potential employers see is not the same report that you (or even other lenders) see. According to a 2018 HR.com report, 16% of companies pull credit or financial checks on all job candidates and almost 33% do credit checks on some candidates.

Credit Card Companies

Credit card companies are often the biggest users of soft inquiries — and they usually happen without your approval. This is because they use these soft pulls as a way to see if you’re prequalified for a credit card. Similar to what an employer sees, credit card companies won’t see information like your account numbers but will see things like your payment history and if you have any accounts in collections.

The companies will then send you the offers that might appeal to you to try to entice you to sign up for a new card. This can definitely get annoying (and take up plenty of space in your inbox!), but companies are hoping that one of the offers you see might catch your eye and will be too good to pass up.

Insurance Companies

If you get auto insurance, homeowners insurance, or any other insurance quotes in the mail, this will also involve a soft pull. Again, these happen without your authorization and are used to give you an accurate quote based on your credit history.

These insurance companies don’t see your regular credit score, but rather what’s called a credit-based insurance score. They see a score that’s similar to your FICO score but is weighted a little differently.

Pre-employment Soft Credit Checks 

While you might expect insurance and credit card companies to check your score, it could come as a surprise to see that employers also perform this somewhat sensitive background check. Let’s take a closer look at what is and isn’t permitted, as well as how to be prepared for the situation.

What Will a Prospective Employer Look For?

Potential employers often use credit checks as a way to determine if you’re a responsible person. They can see information such as your mortgage, outstanding balances, auto or student loans, late or missed payments, bankruptcies and foreclosures, and accounts that have gone to collections.

Having some negative items on your credit report doesn’t mean you won’t get the job, but lots of late payments or bills in collections can let employers know that you have a hard time staying organized with your money. While they’ll be able to see information dating back 7 years, more recent information will typically be weighted more heavily in any decisions they make.

What Positions Do Credit Checks Apply To?

An employer can run a credit check for any role if they wish, although it is unlikely to have too much impact on their final decision unless you’re applying for a role that requires you to regularly handle money.

Jobs where your credit score might have more of an impact on an employer’s choice to hire you or not include:

• Finance management
• Banking
• Accounting
• Retail jobs

A bad credit report will not automatically deny you a role in any of these industries, but it might make it harder for a prospective employer to know they can trust you.

What Is the Process?

The check will take place once an employer is prepared to offer you a job (or, as is sometimes the case with current employers, a promotion). They’ll reach out to a third-party company to perform a check on your financial history.

The report itself will be carried out in much the same way as if you yourself were checking your own score. The employer will be provided with financial factors such as:

• Credit and debit card debt
• Mortgage payments
• Loan repayments
• The late payment of debts
• Any cases of bankruptcies

Despite seeing this relatively sensitive information, an employer will be restricted from gaining access to most of your personal data. For example, your date of birth will not be included, so as to prevent any kind of age discrimination when assessing your application.

What Are Your Rights?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects your rights and makes it so that employers must have written consent before pulling your credit history. This might be done as part of your application process, or they may ask for your permission later on in the interview process.

This modified credit check won’t show your credit scores or any account numbers. It also won’t show any information that could violate equal employment regulations, like your birth year or marital status.

In addition, there are some cities and states that restrict credit checks as part of the decision for employment:

How To Be Prepared for Pre-employment Checks 

While you won’t be able to make drastic changes to your credit score in the time between applying for a job and any potential pre-employment check, there are steps you can take to be as prepared as possible for any tricky questions.

• Understand your score. Put the power back in your hands by gaining a detailed understanding of your own score. If you think your report might not represent you well, form responses as to why that might be the case. An employer may be willing to overlook a poor score if you can clearly highlight how it has no bearing on your job performance.
• Check for errors in your report. Checking your score before you apply also gives you the chance to identify and dispute any errors which may have been falsely included. You’ll be given the chance to file a 100-word statement that disputes any misinformation, which an employer should be able to see when carrying out a check. Even if a lender doesn’t agree with your statement, it can go a long way to looking better in the eyes of a prospective employer.
• Think about where you’re applying. The weight an employer places on your credit score will naturally vary, depending on a number of factors. Chief amongst those is the sector you’re applying to, as well as the size of the company in question. If you’re worried your credit score is going to impact your application, think about applying to smaller companies, which are more likely to overlook a bad report.

Bottom Line:Employers don’t always run your credit, but if your job involves company finances, it’s likely they will. 

Common Soft Inquiries

As a quick recap, the most common soft inquiries will happen when:

• You check your own credit score (annual or continuous monitoring)
• Employers run your background check
• Companies “prequalify” you for a credit card or insurance

How Soft Inquiries Impact Your Credit Score

While hard and soft inquiries show the same information, the main difference is that soft inquiries have no effect on your credit score. They aren’t even built into any credit-scoring models!

Soft inquiries are also not disputable. However, remember that potential lenders won’t be able to see them (except for insurance companies and debt-settlement companies as we’ve noted earlier).

How To Know if an Inquiry Will Be Hard or Soft

The difference between a hard and soft inquiry comes down to whether you gave the lender permission to check your credit or not. If you did, it will likely be reported as a hard inquiry. By signing a document, such as a credit card application, loan application, etc., you’re giving the company permission to pull your credit. If you didn’t sign any documents or otherwise approve a credit inquiry, it should be reported as a soft inquiry.

There are other types of credit checks that could show up as either a hard or soft inquiry. For example, utility, cable, internet, and mobile providers will often check your credit. If you’re unsure how a particular inquiry will be classified, you can always ask the company, credit card issuer, or financial institution to clarify before you sign any documents or turn in your application.

Managing Your Credit

Try to keep hard inquiries on your credit to a minimum since it can signify that you’re over-extending your finances and aren’t a reliable borrower. You don’t want your credit score to suffer by applying for too many credit cards or other loans.

Apply for Loans Sporadically

The easiest way to keep credit inquiries from affecting your score is to manage how often you’re applying for loans or lines of credit. Be mindful of opening a lot of new credit accounts within the 2-year window when inquiries show up on your credit report. If possible, wait until some inquiries drop off before applying for additional credit.

In addition, shopping for multiple rates within 30 days is grouped together and treated by FICO as 1 inquiry. If you’re shopping for the best rate for a mortgage, car loan, etc., try to do all of your loan applications within this timeframe.

Avoid Getting Denied

While the denial itself won’t hurt your score any more than an approval, you may still see a drop in your credit from the hard inquiry. One of the worst things would be to have this hard inquiry show up on your account and not even be approved for the loan or credit card!

Be aware of the loan or card requirements. If you’re knowledgeable about your current credit score, you can try to only apply for the loans or credit cards that you feel reasonably sure you’ll qualify for.

Improve Other Aspects of Your Score

While credit pulls can lower your score by 3 to 5 points (per inquiry), this doesn’t have a huge effect on your credit. Your credit utilization makes up a much larger chunk of your credit score. There isn’t 1 magic percentage to hit, but the lower you keep it, the better. That means you shouldn’t be spending up to the maximum of your credit line each month.

The length of your credit history is also an important contributor to your credit score. This is important to remember when you’re considering closing some of your older credit and loan accounts.

Check Your Credit Frequently

Checking your own credit report regularly will never affect your credit and it can help you keep up to date on any major changes to your score. You can also monitor for any hard inquiries in case you need to dispute an erroneous item.

Also, keep in mind that each of the 3 reports could have different inquiries, as an inquiry is only added to the specific credit report that was checked. For example, if you check your Equifax credit report, the soft inquiry won’t be added to your Experian or TransUnion credit reports.

Consider Soft Pull Credit Card Approvals

There are a few credit card issuers that perform a soft inquiry (as opposed to a hard inquiry) when you apply for a credit card. These cards are generally targeted at those individuals with bad credit. The issuers do a soft inquiry to confirm your identity, but it’s still possible that they’ll have to do a hard inquiry if they need to gather more information.

Before you consider a card that doesn’t require a hard pull, make sure you do your research and read the fine print carefully. There are usually higher APRs and harsher penalties for missing payments attached to these cards.

Freezing Your Credit

By placing a freeze on your credit, hard inquiries can’t occur, stopping any new accounts from being opened in your name. This might be a good option for you, especially if you’ve been the victim of identity theft or a data breach.

Not sure if a credit freeze is right for you? Here’s more information about what it means to freeze your credit (and when it’s a good idea).

Hot Tip:Keep in mind that while hard inquiries can be stopped by freezing your credit — soft inquiries can’t.

Top Credit Statistics for 2021-2022

Average Credit Score by Age

As of August 2021, the average credit score for an American citizen was a respectable 716 – placing them comfortably in the “Good” bracket. This was 8 points higher than the last reported average (in October of 2020).

Interestingly, although perhaps to no great shock, it seems the more experience you have under your belt has a positive impact on your score. Statistics showed that the 3 best average scores by demographic were for those aged 70 to 79, 80 to 89, and 90 to 99.

Average Credit Score by State

When it came to the U.S. state with the best average score, Minnesota led the way with an average of 739. The top 5 best scores across the country were:

1. Minnesota – 739
2. Wisconsin – 732
3. South Dakota – 731
4. Vermont – 731
5. North Dakota – 730

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the states which had the lowest scores on average were:

1. Nevada – 695
2. New Mexico – 694
3. Arkansas – 690
4. Oklahoma – 690
5. South Carolina – 689

Average Credit Score

Encouragingly, when it came to the bracket which most Americans found themselves in (as of April 2021), the highest percentage were those in an “excellent” score of 800 to 850. The full breakdown showed:

With trends continuing to show an improvement in scores of the average American, it will be interesting to see how long this healthy period sustains.

Additional Resources

If you’d like to find out more about hard and soft credit checks, as well as how you can optimize your credit report as best as possible, be sure to check out these handy secondary sources:

• Equifax assess 5 things that will negatively impact your credit score
• Investopedia provides tangible advice on how to improve your credit score
• The Muse provides a detailed list of actionable advice for managing your finances
• Wells Fargo provides advice on how to easily check your score
• Check out our extensive list of credit report statistics for the 2021 financial year

Profiles To Follow for Financial Advice

While you probably have a better footing for how your credit score will be affected by different checks, it never hurts to follow some reliable sources for up-to-date advice. Here are some of the best Twitter accounts to keep up with for advice on your credit report:

• Credit Score Secrets — A great profile that provides interesting new ideas on helping your credit score.
• Credit Sesame — A great resource for growing your score.
• Debt.com — A profile with resources to help people fix credit card debt, tax debt, student loan debt, credit report errors, ID theft issues, bankruptcy, and more.
• George Daunis — George shares wisdom on subjects such as boosting your credit score, home buying, being a landlord, blogging, social media, and online income generation.
• How To Raise My Credit Score — Enjoy advice from credit repair experts who can help get your finances back on track for the future ahead.
• Lexington Law — This group believes in your legal right to a fair, accurate, and substantiated credit report.
• OneScore — This profile is from a great app to check and improve your credit score for free.

Final Thoughts

Both soft and hard credit inquiries are done to assess the state of your credit. Soft inquiries are done constantly to track your own credit score or by companies to preapprove you for credit cards or loans. These won’t affect your credit.

It’s very important to monitor and manage any hard inquiries you have to your credit report. Hard inquiries are necessary to get approved for many types of loans and can even be performed by your future employer to see if you’re a good candidate. These can affect your credit score and stay on your credit report for 24 months.

Under the FHA, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which significantly limits a person’s major life activities. Even if a lease says “no pets” or restricts pets, landlords are required to make what is called a “reasonable accommodation” to allow pets who serve as assistance animals, which includes animals who provide emotional support.

FHA Assistance animals are in a different legal classification than pets who are not assistance animals, which is why pet restrictions and fees are waived for them. They are animals that work, assist and/or perform tasks and services for the benefit of a person with a disability or provide emotional support that improves the symptoms of a disability.

There is no official certification or training for assistance animals, and they can assist in a wide variety of ways. Breed and weight restrictions do not apply to assistance or service animals.

Differences between service animals and assistance animals
Service animals are categorized as animals trained to do a specific task for their owner. The most common example is a guide dog. Service animals are allowed in public accommodations because of the owner’s need for the animal at all times.

An assistance animal can be a cat, dog or other type of companion animal, and does not need to be trained to perform a service. The emotional and/or physical benefits from the animal living in the home are what qualify the animal as an assistance animal. A letter from a medical doctor or therapist is all that is needed to classify the animal as an assistance animal.

The fact that the term “service animal” is often used by landlords and public housing authorities to refer to both service dogs and assistance animals often creates confusion.

Some examples of assistance animals:
A cat who can detect and alerts their companion of oncoming seizures .
A dog who alleviates a person’s depression or anxiety.
A cat who reduces a person’s stress-induced pain.
A bird who alerts their hard-of-hearing companion when someone has come to the door.
Demonstrating your pet is an assistance animal
You should provide your landlord with a letter from your doctor/therapist stating you have a disability and explaining how your pet is needed to help you cope with this disability and/or improves its symptoms. Attach a brief personal statement explaining to the landlord that you are asking for “a reasonable accommodation to keep your pet who functions as an assistance support animal.”

If your landlord refuses to accommodate
Landlords must agree to a reasonable accommodation request if the disability claim is true and if the request does not create a hardship on the landlord or other tenants. If your request for a reasonable accommodation is denied by the landlord, you have the right to request that a government agency investigate your claim that the landlord is discriminating against you.

You have several options for filing a complaint:
You can file a discrimination complaint electronically with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Information about the process is located on the HUD website.
You can print and complete a HUD Discrimination Form and mail it to the appropriate HUD office.
Many states have a government agency that investigates discrimination claims. You can also file a complaint directly with your state’s agency.
Housing covered by the Fair Housing Act
All types of housing, including public housing, are covered by the FHA except: 1. Rental dwellings of four or less units, where one unit is occupied by the owner; 2. Single family homes sold or rented by the owner without the use of a broker; 3. Housing owned by private clubs or religious organizations that restrict occupancy in housing units to their members.

Pet fees
Service and assistance animals are not technically pets and owners do not have to pay pet fees. The landlord, however,  may still seek money from the tenant if there is any damage caused by the animal to the home. Also, if there is a nuisance issue, the landlord does have the right to try to remove the assistance animal and person through legal proceedings.

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A Guide to Psychiatric Service Dogs – https://www.zocdoc.com/blog/a-guide-to-psychiatric-service-dogs/