1.    THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT:  Pay your bills on time. An indication of how you will pay your bills in the future is taken from how you have paid your bills in the past. Your credit scores emphasize your most recent payment record.  If you've been late in the past, start paying on time now!

2.      GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT:  Pay at least the minimum amount required. You can always pay more, but you should never pay less.

3.      HOW LOW CAN YOU GO:  Keep credit card balances low. Don't "max out" your credit cards.

4.      SAVE YOURSELF:  Don't apply for too many loans or new accounts. Lenders will be concerned that you won't manage your debt well if you are requesting a lot of credit in a short time span.

5.      GET ESTABLISHED:  Establish credit if you have none. Apply for one or two credit cards. Use the cards carefully and pay off the entire balance each month

6.      PLAN AHEAD: Get your credit report a few months before you plan to buy a house so you have time to correct any errors before applying for a mortgage. You can establish a plan to build your credit with help from your lender.

7.      KNOW WHERE YOU ARE: Find out your credit score and review the information that comes with it.

8.      THINK BACK:  The last two years count most. Your credit score looks most closely at the last two years.

9.      THINK FURTHER BACK:  But the last seven count too! Your credit tracks your payment history over the last seven years.

10.  TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE:  Shop for a mortgage within a two or three- week period. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender requests your credit report and an inquiry of that request shows up on the report. All inquiries during a two-week period only show as one inquiry. A couple of inquiries on your credit report are okay, but more can lower your credit score.

11.  BE RESERVED:  Don't apply for new credit or make major purchases, such as a new car, large appliances or electronics, right before you apply for a mortgage.

12.  ASK FOR HELP:  Call your lender for advice if you believe you have credit problems.

13.  YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT:  Don't be discouraged if you have credit problems. You don't need perfect credit to qualify for a mortgage; however, people with perfect credit tend to get better interest rates than people with less-than-perfect credit.