<prompt> Human: I am married and our credit score is 515-585. We really would like to buy a house. We are tired of renting and living under someone elses decisions. However, all of the mortgage brokers we have spoken to said, we both need to be at least a 620 to even be considered for a home loan. We have a lot of delinquencies on our reports that I know need to come off. My ultimate goal is to get both of our credit scores above the 620 mark, as quickly as possible. After that, we can focus on improving our credit score further. We have a lot of accounts that have a low balance and only a few that are high. Is it better to pay the low balance delinquent accounts first in order to have a lower number of delinquent accounts? Or do the accounts with the highest delinquent balances add the most weight to the credit report? Some of the high ones are from hospitals, does this make a difference? Any input would be appreciated.PS: I also have a few marks on my credit report with no information on who they belong to. What would be the best way to get these taken off. If I have to write a letter, is there a handy template I could use?  <response>: You need to get your credit utilization below 30 I think, ideally down to 10. Stop paying bills late. Read Dave Ramseys debt snowball If you have delinquencies on your credit report that are bogus, send certified mail to the creditor asking for verification of the debt. Google for a template. If they dont verify the debt, they have to remove it from your report.Also, Ill echo the other people here. How much do you have saved for a house? What does your monthly income and budget look like? If you dont have much of a down payment and are only making minimum loan payments already, you cant afford a house. 