Even though the credit market is currently in melt down mode it will come back as confidence is regained. In the past home loans for people with bad credit were pretty easy to come by, but no one is sure what the approval criteria will be in the coming months and years. There are still ways to improve your chances of getting a home loan with bad credit and here are 5.

1st – Try to find a good deal on a house. If you can find a house that’s priced lower than the appraised value you might be able to get a mortgage easier on that property. The lender will view this as if you have additional down payment money since you will immediately have equity in the home when you purchase it. Don’t assume this will be the case and talk to your lender first if you find a deal like this to be sure it will help you qualify for a mortgage.

2nd – This probably won’t work as well anymore, but you can try some creative financing options. Lenders have dozens of options when trying to get you a bad credit mortgage, see if they have one that might suit you. Talk with the real estate agent as well and see if the seller is willing to help with the down payment or is willing to carry a second short term mortgage.

3rd – This is really a no brainer, but you should save more for a down payment. A larger down payment can be a huge help in getting home loans for people with bad credit. It will also help lower your interest rate and if you need to save for an additional 6-12 months you may even improve your credit score enough to get out of the bad credit/high risk category. If you have no down payment or even just 10% to put down it can make a lot of sense financially to keep saving until you can afford 20% at a minimum for the down payment.

4th – Take some time and improve your credit score. This follows right along with the tip above, but there are ways other than time to improve your credit score. You should take the time to get a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus and go through them to make sure they are accurate. Many times people are hit with bad credit due to mistakes on their credit reports. Other ways to improve your credit score include making all your payments on time, closing unneeded credit card accounts and avoiding applying for any new loans in the 6 months leading up to your home purchase.

5th – Take the time to shop around with different lenders offering home loans for people with bad credit. Some mortgage brokers will try to get you to believe that they are the only ones that can get a mortgage for you, but this is rarely if ever true. By simply talking to another mortgage broker you may find that not only can they help you, but they can actually lower your costs. Each mortgage broker has relationships with a variety of lenders and some are more flexible than others in their lending criteria. You should request quotes from a minimum of 3 lenders before making a decision. The good thing is that online mortgage lenders have made it easy to get quotes, even when looking for a bad credit home loan.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of being a home owner then don’t let your bad credit stop you. There are ways to improve your credit score to qualify for a home loan and there are even ways to get home loans for people with bad credit. Be persistent, shop around and keep working towards your goal of home ownership and you can find a way.