Can You Really Get a Perfect Credit Score? These Folks Did

Although credit scores fall in a range from 300 to 850, most of us never see the very top or the very bottom of that range -- the majority of us fall somewhere in the middle. But some Americans see that 850 as a fiscal mountain to climb, and they set about getting as close to the summit as possible.

Take a look at Ben Broner, for instance. Broner (at right), a grant development professional in Alabama, bought a foreclosed house at auction for his two grown children to spare them the cost of rent while they save up for their own down payments. Broner was able to combine the new mortgage with his existing one at a rate of 3.9% in less than a week, and he just closed on the property.

"It actually happened very fast," he says. The reason why? Broner thinks it has a lot to do with his 812 credit score.

It's worth noting that you don't need an 850 -- or even an 812 -- to enjoy the perks of good credit. Most lenders' best rates go to anyone who has a score over 750. But if you want the bragging rights of of a perfect score, read on.

WalletPop talked to Broner and others like him who are shooting for that "holy grail," then we asked a credit score expert what they were doing right -- and what they could be doing better in their quest.