Buy a Home Regardless of Credit: Real World Help for the Imperfect

A Down-to-earth Homebuying Guide for the Young, Broke and Marginal

First, if you want a house you can buy a house. And you can believe me because I, unlike anyone else who will EVER tell you this, am not trying to sell you something.

Now, please keep in mind that I am no professional, though judging by some of the incompetent idiots I met during this process, I very well could be. Mostly, those who love me would say that I am an obsessive-compulsive control freak with delusions of grandeur. Those that don't love me would say I'm a ball-breaking bitch. I say they both have a point.

I have compiled, with little regard to political correctness, things I think those unfamiliar with the homebuying process should consider. In particular this is for my folks with more student loans than savings and more credit report dings than dreams. I'm on your side. Do with this as you will but know that this is the sum total of my housewarming gifting.

* Make up your mind: Do you want to own a home? Believe it or not this question stumps 80% of those in my social circle. Something about being younger than 40 and not yet millionaires - it drives us Gen-Xers crazy. But before you decipher your FICO or let the one-eyed guy at the tax filing place sell you on a great mortgage deal, you must determine if you WANT a house. The reasons for wanting one are irrelevant, as long as it matters to you. You don't even have to be able to articulate it; just want it. From there the rest is easy.

* Your credit score is EVERYTHING... and nothing at all: Trust me - I know this fear. Some of us have had more collection calls, cut-off notices and guys named Vinny knocking on our Momma's door at 4 in the morning than we would ever care to admit. We would rather not know what's on the damn thing. First rule of adulthood? Pull your head out of your ass. There's no more debtors prison - unless you incurred your debt with a glock - so get over it.