If you have planned to buy a home in the near future the last thing you need to do is start using your credit. This will hurt you credit score, which is what your interest rate is based on. Even some small purchases here or there can get you disqualified form your maximum loan amount.

Couple years ago I was helping a single mother with 2 teenage daughters move into there first home. She did everything I advised her to do and was qualified for the home she wanted. She was even qualified for grant money for first time homeowners. We found the perfect home in the area she wanted to live in, and wrote up a contract that was accepted within the hour. Every thing was going perfect and in her favor until we got the call from the lender.

Her teenage daughter went on a shopping spree with the credit card she had given her and maxed the card out. This took $20,000 off her maximum loan amount, and she would have to come up with more money to get into the home. The seller decided to put the home back on the market and before we got every thing straightened out the house sold robbing my buyer of her dream home.

Don't rob yourself of the dream of owning a home. Get a free credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ There is no penalty for checking your own credit. If there is something you can pay off do it. Most importantly save the credit purchases until after you close and the lender funds the loan.