With the introduction of the FHA home loan, a lot of low-income Americans were able to secure a loan to purchase their homes. FHA home loans are conceptualized in 1930's during the time of the Great Depression. The government acted to subsidize loaning programs through FHA in response to the growing rate of defaults and foreclosures.

The good news is that FHA is for every American. But they have to follow the set guidelines in applying for it. To know if you qualify for an FHA home loan, here is a checklist that you can use. See for yourself if you can take advantage of FHA's easy mortgage loan plans.

1. First and foremost, you should have a steady employment history. By this, you should be able to prove to the agency that you have at least two years of service with your current employer. Stability of job and income is the main factor. That's the primary requirement of FHA.

2. You should have an increasing income, or at least, a consistent one. So that FHA can correctly assess your capability to pay, you should show them that in your current job, you are earning a fixed amount. And if in case it is not the case, your income should follow a steady rising pattern, not a fluctuating one.

3. You should be able to boast about your credit history. Your credit report definitely says a lot about your financial status. It is FHA's requirement that all their applicants are in good credit standing. And not only that, they also require that there is not a single payment over due for more than a month within the last two years in their credit reports.

4. You should also show that you've got no history of bankruptcy. Or even if you had, it should be at least two years before. You should also show and that you already had regained financial stability for the past two years. You should be in a good credit standing for two consecutive years.

5. Your foreclosures, if any, should be three years old at the very least. This one follows the same principle as the bankruptcy rule stated above. It is a must that for the past three years, what you have is a good credit standing.

6. You can only apply for a loan that is 30% of your total monthly income. If you have everything else worked out, remember this last important detail: FHA will approve you a loan corresponding to your gross income. So, do not apply for one that exceeds 30%. Your application will just be denied. Look and settle for a house that is just within the set limits.

These are the different points to consider when applying for an FHA loan. You should qualify in the every step stated here. These are the exact guidelines that FHA is currently following.

But you have to know that pre-qualifying for the loan is just the first step. It is not a guarantee of anything. All it means is that FHA will merit a review of your application and proceed from there. Your dream of buying the perfect house is still in the cooking stages, so to speak.

Pre-qualification is the first step to getting a loan, though. Needless to say, it is an important step altogether. If you don't pass the pre-qualification stage, there is no way that you will be able to purchase the house that you always wanted, at least not through FHA.

What the pre-qualification step really does is that it assesses your income, your assets, and your ability to pay. After which, you are to show it to the lender waiting on the wings. Then they further study your case. You'll get the loan once they see that you are indeed, financially stable.

With all these said, go ahead and start evaluating yourself for an FHA home loan. Take advantage of what they are offering today. This is your chance to own the house of your dreams. Take it while it is still there.