If your credit is bad, go over your credit reports to make sure that everything stated is correct. Slow payments, charge offs, and bankruptcy will effect your your chances of getting a loan. If it is not correct you will need to take steps to make sure it is. For those items that you question, write a letter to the credit reporting agency. You have the right, to dispute the accuracy and completeness of information in your credit file.

When a credit reporting agency receives a dispute, it must reinvestigate and record the current status of the disputed items within a reasonable period of time. If the credit reporting agency cannot verify a disputed item, it must delete it. If your report contains erroneous information, the credit reporting agency must correct it. If an item is incomplete, the credit reporting agency must complete it. There are a number of pamphlets and other information available to you and sometimes a professional can assist you.

While many articles have been written about the dangers of credit repair companies, it seems to only be the "Credit Counselors" who don't want you to use them. Why? Because it takes away their business. And a little known secret is that they work closely with the creditors and frequently have collecting as much as they can as their only goal. When you get done they will have you paying a lot of money out and still having bad credit. Many attorneys now provide credit repair services at reasonable fees.

Repairing your credit will help in many areas of your life. If you have someone that trusts you enough to cosign for you that can be an option, or they could buy the home in their name and then sell it to you on a contract.