How we healed our credit score from 530 to 655 to buy our kids a backyard

Two years ago, my credit report looked like a disaster zone. Medical debts, past-due credit cards, and missed phone bills. We didn't even think we could qualify for a lease, let alone a home. But our kids needed a safe backyard to play in. We didn't go to some sketchy credit-repair company; we learned how to request validation letters, set up automatic 'credit builder' loans, and got our score to 655. We just closed with an FHA loan with a 3.5% down payment! I can't look at our grass without crying. Keep pushing, friends. Little payments add up.