Before you even think about applying for a home mortgage loan, you should first check your credit score. You want to make sure that your score is in good shape, since it is very important to whether or not you get a home loan, as well as what interest rate you end up paying. And, with the current mortgage industry troubles, you will need a higher credit score to get a mortgage loan, and then you will need a good score to get the best interest rate possible.

You can check your credit report for free (one from each credit bureau) once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com, and you can pay between $7 and $15 for your credit score. The lender will do it for you when you apply for a home mortgage loan, but it’s nicer to be prepared. And checking it yourself will allow you to take steps to improve your credit score before applying for the home loan.