Pick the bad mark and the date. See when it drops off your credit report and the earliest date each loan type may look at you again.
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Drops off your credit report
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Earliest date to apply, by loan type
Conventional dates follow the Fannie Mae Selling Guide. FHA, VA and USDA dates come from a lender quick-reference, not the HUD/VA/USDA handbooks, so they are marked estimate. FHA counts from the case number date, VA from credit approval. Lenders and mortgage insurers can ask for more time.
Common myth: "Once I pay a collection, it comes off my report." Paying does not erase an accurate entry. It stays for the full 7 years, just marked paid. Only wrong or unverifiable items get removed. (Paid medical collections are the exception: the bureaus drop those.)