Most of us long to own a home. We see this idealized place as our shelter in bad times. We love the thought of being able to decorate from top to bottom our unique specifications.  Unfortunately, for many of us, buying a home is a difficult prospect because of one major drawback: a poor credit history. Bad credit almost always creates complications when trying to purchase something as big as a home.

That three-digit credit score and our credit report can make the difference between being granted a home loan and being rejected out of hand. Why? Because our credit report tells a financial story of us as payers of debt, and it has a long memory. Few people manage to go along forever without making a single financial mistake, and the fact is that many times, those people who pay cash for everything, end up with a lower credit score than those of us who juggle debt.

The worse your credit report is, the harder it will be to acquire a home loan. That is why it is imperative before you go house shopping and long before you need to move, to study your credit report, and clean it up as much as you possibly can. In several months to a year's time, you can improve your credit report and raise your credit score. Then you will have a much better chance of moving into your own home at a competitive interest rate.