Best bet is to call a REPUTABLE lender in your area and get pre-qualified or pre-approved based on your own particular circumstances. But beware: your interest rate will most likely be based on your credit history; you could end up paying more than you intended and despite the ongoing mortgage industry collapse, there are still those unscrupulous businesses that will tack on unnecessary & expensive costs IF, in fact, you can get anyone to even consider your application.

A few suggestions here: DON'T shop interest rates or lenders indiscriminately. Do your homework and make sure you approach a lender with good credentials. The more inquiries into your credit history, the lower your credit scores and you'll end up paying a higher interest rate. Get your own credit report well ahead of time and start "cleaning up" well in advance. That means all accounts are current at the time you go to the lender; if old collections exist, negotiate to either pay them in full & have them removed from your credit report or removed if they're not correct. Follow up on a regular basis with the 3 main credit reporting agencies to make sure any changes, etc. are done and your credit scores are adjusted accordingly. DON'T open new credit accounts or apply indiscriminately; both the new accounts and inquiries again will have adverse affects on your credit score. Finally, I'd suggest you have patience and do what you can to make sure you have at least 12 months with all accounts paid as agreed and no further credit delinquencies under your belt before you allow any lender to check your credit. It's a given you don't apply for a home you can't begin to afford and that you have money in the bank well prior to applying for a loan. These factors are critical in the lending decision.

Do yourself a favor at the outset and contact a local, reputable bank or national mortgage lender where you live and ask to be preapproved. Stick with this bank's suggestions; again if you go to more than one, it'll have a negative affect on your credit score. Do as they suggest (should be fairly comparable to what I've outlined above) and if it means you go 12 months doing nothing more than paying your bills as agreed and saving up money, in the end you should succeed. Be prepared for some initial resistance if your credit isn't "intact," but let the bank know you're serious and most important, follow their recommendations.

Hope this helps. Good luck.