Apartment Update

So I went to go chat with the possible new landlord and because he hasn't raised rent on that place in 2 years, and the current tenant (my pal Steve) is moving out, he wants to raise rent. *sigh*

If he raises rent on it so it's more than $1,500 a month, I'm screwed. In fact, I can barely make rent if it's $1,400. So I'm not sure what he plans on raising it. His direct quote was "I need to see the averages on Craigslist." I'm so sick of being paid pre-dotcom wages, and having to pay dotcom rent. Ugh.

Another glitch is that I have to give him my full credit report. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but because of a fraudulant charge on my credit card last year, that was promptly disputed and refunded, I have some glitch on my credit report that says I was late paying all the fees on that card -- even though the card company was at fault and closed the matter. The card company -- Citibank -- doesn't have a person you can chat with about credit report disputes. You have to mail or fax everything and hope they read it promptly. Thing is I don't have months to fix this. Steve already gave his 30-day notice on his apartment and I need to apply for his place with this landlord THIS WEEK.

I have an old email from the credit card company saying the dispute was solved and that they credited my account. Shortly after everything was resolved, I cancelled the card because I was so fed up with their customer support (or lack thereof). Little did I know that the whole incident would show up on my credit report that I didn't pay my card on time and was charged multiple late fees.

I'll be calling the Equifax people today (the folks who do the credit report) to see what can be done promptly. I already filed an online dispute last week for Equifax to investigate. But again, time is the essence. If any of you have had to deal with something like this, please chime in with your advice.

My credit rating with this glitch is currently listed as 684. Which is considered "Fair." But it really needs to be higher so it says "Good" so the landlord knows I'm trustworthy and reliable with money.

So if any of you have advice, please PLEASE let me know.

Top 9 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Since I'm researching this, you might as well learn something too. ;-)
Surprisingly they say not to close out old credit card accounts, and to spread your spending on more than one credit card to keep your monthly balances low. All this time I thought having one card that I paid off in full every month was more responsible. Guess not.

Read Top 9 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score for full explanations!
( Read more... )

How To Repair Your Credit Report

Credit report repair is not something you can accomplish overnight. It took time for your credit report to become damaged, and it’s going to take time to get your credit report fixed. Follow these steps to get the credit repair process started and improve your credit score.

Time Required: Approximately 30 to 60 days

Here's How:
How To Repair Your Credit Report

Back-Up Vader Speaks

In his four-year history of donning a Darth Vader helmet as part of the Southern California 501st Garrison, Andrew Page has never had a call of duty quite like standing next to filmmaker George Lucas on a football field for 2007 Rose Bowl.

"I was in a boxed-in area on the back of a golf cart and no one could see who was inside," Page describes. "They drove me out to the edge of the football field and started playing Darth Vader's signature breathing sound throughout the stadium. The crowd went nuts. They pulled back the tarp doorway and I stepped out. I escorted George Lucas and his kids onto the field and stood there shaking my fist and doing my Vader-isms for the crowd. Oddly enough the only other thing going through my head was not Star Wars related. I couldn't help think how my favorite NFL team lost on this very field in Super Bowl XXI."

A few days before the coin-toss event, Page found himself supervising the Rose Parade float decorating activities on a reality TV show. "I not only took part in the pre-game show for the Rose Bowl, I also was fortunate to portray Darth Vader at a television shoot for a show on E! Entertainment television, 'Girls next Door,'" Page says. "The fact that I was not allowed to speak when the girls kept asking me questions like 'Why are you so tall?' was difficult. So I just stayed in character and walked around the part of the float that the girls were building as if Vader was giving his final approval. I think I even patted one of them on the head."

Read the full interview here:
Back-Up Vader Speaks