CHECK YOUR CREDIT
Services like Credit Karma that will show you your credit score and help you make sense of it. It can take months for changes to show up on your credit report. Start this now!
FIRST-TIME BUYER COURSE
This is a free online course you can take that will explain a lot of the home buying process.
It's mostly videos that you watch and short quizzes. You can break it up into little increments and at the end you'll get a certificate that some lenders require.
GET PRE-APPROVED
You should talk to a mortgage broker as early as a year before you're ready to buy.
An online loan estimator is okay, but a human mortgage broker will give you an exact number and let you know about grants and programs you may be eligible for, and help you find the best way to get to the loan amount you want
NEEDs, WANTs, NOs
Make a list of things that you need in your home, things that you would like to have, but you would be okay if you didn't get all of them, and things that will make a home a definite "No" for you.
It sometimes helps to think in terms of how you will use the house "I need a brand new kitchen and livingroom" isn't as helpful as "I want to host big dinner parties"
This list will evolve as you look at homes, but it's good to think about it early, especially if you're buying a home with another person.
