1- Once you apply for funding, STOP shopping. This means; no large purchases on your credit. Your score can drop 50 points in one day, killing your loan during the underwrting process of this new transaction.

2- Don't apply for more loans. Credit report inquiries frighten underwriters. After the third inquiry, you look desperate. Hence, you are now an automatic decline with half the underwriters in the loan market.

3- If you owe more than 60% of your current available credit, you are "leveraged." Pay high balances down NOW to bring credit score up and debt ratio down.