I highly recommend you bring your utilization down from 4% and work your way down to 2.5% (make sure your payment is submitted 2 days before your credit card company's statement date).I've seen 680s jump to 750 within 3 months.If you have debt it is best to hire an attorney to deal with it or fight the debt yourself and require a written email stating they will remove the inquiry from your credit report after you have paid X% of the debt you owe (you can usually settle for a huge discount).

They were talking about sending gift cards around Christmas, etc.

When you’re starting out, especially when you’re starting out, you should have a clear idea of what the financing will look like.Oh, and if I call someone like a lender and ask a dozen questions, I immediately follow up by sending a $10 gift card (usually Starbucks) and thank them for their time.

I use regular credit cards and also have a card with Lowes where I get 6 months same as cash.Use the rent money to pay off the cards ASAP.

I am happy to buy lunch (or send an online gift card if distant), I'm pretty good with computers, coding, and business/system processes, I worked quite a bit as a laborer earlier in life so I'm happy to help with some cleanup/construction and have my own tools, and am also willing to throw down some cash if needed.

She pays by credit card and I repeatedly don't receive the rent by the first, usually the 5th-8th.

My mom added me on her credit card a while ago to make my credit score increase.  

CounteroffersIn the world of real estate negotiations, "counteroffers" are like the friendly back-and-forth you might have while making a trade in a card game.When someone wants to buy your house, they might make an offer.

To get this done, I went totally Dave Ramsey - paid cash, cut up cards, the whole bit.  

Parking is tricky too, so get there early, and don't forget to bring lots of business cards.