Visit my loan checklist at http://www.jacobdenver.com/LoanChecklist

That's kind of a vague question because there are many conditions that factor into getting a mortgage approved. But I'll touch on the basics.

Lenders mainly look at 3 things when decisioning a loan: Income, Credit, and Assets. They want to make sure a) that you are resonsible with your finances/credit; b) that you can actually afford the payment; c) that you can provide enough collateral (down payment) to make it a good investment for the bank.

In today's economy, banks are much more picky in whom they lend to. You pretty much need to have good credit, a stable income, and some sort of down payment (3.5% for FHA, 5-10% at least for conforming).

If you're lacking in any of these areas I'd recommend holding off until you are on solid ground. This will help you obtain better borrowing terms and will also help set you up to succeed.

You should speak with a local, reputable lender to get an idea of where you stand.

Tony