To order your credit report there are three primary credit reporting agencies that you need to contact:

1. Equifax (800-685-1111)
2. Experian (888-397-3742)
3. Trans Union (800-888-4213)

Why should you contact all three credit reporting agencies? The main reason is that different creditors may choose to report to a single company, as opposed to all three credit reporting companies.

Once you have obtained your credit history, sit down with your real estate agent and make sure that all of the information within the credit report is accurate. Your agent should be able to guide you through the report and what it will mean to your home financing process.

As part of the home buying process, you and your real estate agent will want to make sure to evaluate your entire credit report for any discrepancies.

Credit reporting agencies are required to publish their requirements of the steps you will need to take in order to dispute any information contained in your credit report that is at issue. You need to follow these steps according to their guidelines in order to remove any discrepancies and get the information changed and updated as soon as possible.

As part of this process, you might also want to add what is called a consumer statement to your credit report as an explanation of any late or missed payments to your creditors. In the world today our credit history is exposed to many liabilities. It is a good idea to check your credit report periodically for any discrepancies and to dispute any incorrect information.

If, like many Americans, you have fallen on hard times financially, but you still want to buy a home, there are some steps that can be taken to repairing your credit.

Depending on how damaged your credit score is, you might want to put your plans of buying a home on hold for another year. Its not uncommon for modern home buyers to take a period of several years to repair their credit and prepare themselves for the responsibility of paying a mortgage. The following are some steps that you can take towards repairing your credit:

1. Make all of your current payments of bills on time.
2. Start to pay off your credit cards.
3. Establish at least one year of no late payments on any of your bills.
4. Develop good buying habits.
5. Make no unnecessary or frivolous purchases.

As you can see, past histories of poor credit or financial problems dont have to stop you from experiencing the joys of owning a home. Although they can be a temporary road block, by working with a qualified real estate professional you can prevent your credit history from becoming an obstacle in the purchase of your new home.