1) First, know what you credit score is. Get this by contacting Equifax by phone or email, or creditreport.com.

2) Contact Jeff at Trident Mortage, (504) 232-9127...he can best help you as a mortgage professional, and give you some direction as to what and how to repair your credit.

3) What debt do you have? You need to add up all your credit card and other debt.

4) Katrina was 3 years ago. From a finance point of view, the compassion for that is over. At the end of the day, a finance person in an office in Chicago looking at a potential loan from you is not going to care how many children you have nor Katrina, nor the price of gas, etc. What finance people DO care about is:

A) Cash is king...how much money are you able to put aside each month?
B) What do you owe? Long term and short term debt?
C) Are you living within your means? This means, at the end of the month, do you have anything left over? Got a big truck payment...maybe get rid of it and get something more affordable. Going to McDonalds twice a week? Don't go at all...get some eggs and cook at the house. These are small steps that lead to excellent credit, one less big Mac at a time.
D) What assets do you have? List them on a piece of paper and discuss with your partner how to build on these...or sell some to get rid of debt.

Once you have control over A through D, with a plan for the future...then you can make steps to home ownership.

There are many opportunities to own a piece of Louisiana...through the Bond programs, first time homebuyers and so on. Take care of the items noted above, and you will be able to more effectively focus on the future of owning a home.

contacting a mortgage broker and further discussing your situation is a starting point. Rural Development progam is one type of loan program you may want to consider. it's not a credit driven program and promotes outer city growth, also helps with down payments. not all lenders are set up to offer this program. Executive Mortgage of Louisiana does. try contacting George Monsour or Scott Dailey (337)993-9303- website: wwwexecutivemortgagela.com -they are both owners and brokers of Executive Mortgage. they opperate state wide and in a few other states as well. They are located in Lafayette,La. they will be happy to help you.
My name is Erin Soderberg, I'm a Realtor with ERA Stirling Properties in Lafayette. wew do alot of business together. Let them know how we got to talking! Good luck!

I agree, sdpeaking with a mortgage company is priority number one. I have many that still work with credit issuses. There are still many fators o consider. email me and i can send you there info. You can at least ask them questions if nothing else. If you are ready theu can go through some financing options with you.

realtorcraig@cox.net

Dixie,

The first thing you need to do is sit down with a mortgage broker to see where you stand financially. Build a relationship with that person and tell them your goal for the next 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Also, contact a local Realtor and tell them your situation and let them know that you and your husband would like to purchase a home, but due to past situations you are stuck and need some help and advice. Please feel free to contact me at 704-293-8519 or alyssa.wappes@allentate.com and I can put you in contact with a realtor in your area.

Best of Luck,

Alyssa Wappes