Case Study
Credit Repair

From 520 to 710 in 14 months — no shortcuts, no gimmicks.

Restaurateur Marcus W. came in with $31k in collections and a deadline. Fourteen months later he closed on a $285,000 home — with a payment $400 less than his previous rent.

Marcus W. — full case breakdown

MW
Marcus W.
Raleigh, NC  •  38 years old  •  Restaurant manager

Marcus came to us with a 520 credit score, $31k in collections, and a goal of buying a house within 18 months. His biggest barrier wasn't income — it was time and knowing where to start.

Before
The challenge
  • 520 FICO score across all three bureaus
  • 6 accounts in collections totaling $31,400
  • Two late payments on a car loan — recent and damaging
  • Had tried a DIY credit app with zero results over 8 months
  • Pre-approved mortgage offer expired; afraid of losing the window on his dream home
Approach
The work we did
  • Full audit of all three bureau reports — found 11 disputed items that had errors in account status or payment dates
  • Filed formal disputes with all three bureaus simultaneously using verified correspondences
  • Negotiated pay-for-delete agreements with 4 of 6 collectors, removing $22,800 from his profile
  • Established two secured cards with on-time reporting rotation to rebuild payment history
  • Coached Marcus on the "AZEO method" — All Zero Except One — to optimize his utilization ratio
  • Pulled new credit every 90 days to track progress and catch any reporting errors early
Result
What happened
520
→
710
FICO score after 14 months
  • 11 erroneous items removed from bureau reports
  • $22,800 in collections deleted via pay-for-delete
  • Closed on a $285,000 home at 6.4% — 4 months ahead of schedule
  • Monthly mortgage payment is $400 less than his previous rent

See what this process looks like for your situation.

Marcus's report had its own specific problems — collection accounts, late payments, and a tight closing window. Yours will have its own. The starting framework is the same; the plan is built around you.

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