Clean up credit score to land a sweet mortgage rate

If you're planning to sell your house in this sluggish housing market, you need to make a good impression. Clean the windows. Wax the floors. Power-wash the cat.

If you're a home buyer, you need to do some housekeeping, too. Unless your credit record is spotless, you probably won't qualify for the lowest mortgage rates.

When you apply for a mortgage, most lenders will review your FICO score, a widely used score developed by Fair Isaac. A few months ago, borrowers with a FICO score of 700 usually qualified for the lowest mortgage rates, says Mavel Vargas, manager of lending research for Informa Research Services. Now, though, most borrowers need a score of at least 720 to get the best rates, she says.

Most borrowers know that falling behind on debts will hurt credit scores. But other issues that could hurt your score may be less obvious, including:

•"Same as cash" offers. These deals, offered on everything from new decks to high-definition TVs, provide a way to postpone having to pay for a large purchase, for anywhere from 90 days to a year. But these offers carry hidden costs for borrowers, says John Ulzheimer, president of educational services for

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