Check your credit.

You may visit a number of websites to pull your own credit report. We recommend AnnualCreditReport.com. You may get one free credit report each year, however, you will have to pay a small fee to get your credit score. Now you'll be prepared to answer all of the financial questions your mortgage broker will ask.

Take this time before contacting a mortgage professional to also do a personal budget. You'll need to have a good idea of what you can afford before getting started.