The first thing you'll want to do is find a good mortgage loan officer. The first step is to get pre-qualified. This process requires you to provide the loan officer with your record of employment, including what your income is. They in turn contact a bank to get an estimate of what they would be willing to lend you based on your income.

Once you have pre-qualification, you can really begin your homes search. You know how much you can afford for a home, and a Realtor? will take you seriously as a prospective buyer, and show you homes in your likely price range.

Once you have found a home you want, you can make an offer on it, however soon you will need to become pre-approved for a mortgage. Pre-approval is a little different, and usual doesn't happen until you know the exact home you want. A bank then asses's the value and condition of the home as compared to the asking price, and this contributes to their willingness to loan you money to buy it. The bank will also then need more detailed financial information from you, such as pay stubs, tax return info, and your full credit history. This is where outstanding debts or missed payments for things will come up, and could hinder your ability to get a mortgage loan.

Another thing that can prevent you from getting the loan you want is costly bills. For example, if you've recently made another large purchase, such as a vehicle or costly entertainment system, and are on a monthly payment program, the bank will factor this against your income to determine if you are at risk of de-faulting on your mortgage loan because of too many monthly payments. Even if you are willing to eat beans and rice for a few months until you've paid down your debts, the bank won't factor that in. It's best to avoid making a large purchase if you are considering applying for a mortgage loan, or you risk the chance of being turned down.

So if you are wanting to begin a home search, contact a mortgage loan officer for help and get pre-qualified first.