What are the ways in which one could repair their credit score, so that they may buy their first home?

I have had a lot of stupid things which have ruined my credit, mostly medical bills, and I know my credit is really pretty horrible. I have a family, and I have the money to put down get into my first home. To Whom and where could I go to actually go about buying my first home, and would I need to repair my credit beforehand? How would I go about doing that? Do a lot of places sell first homes and take a deposit only to those with bad credit situations?

Public Comments

1. It really depends on where you live in my opinion. In my state (Texas) there are alot of people suffering from debt along with the real estate market. Their are several homes in my area that are no cash down no credit check and are really nice houses. .You should either clean up your credit or try to look for something that doesnt check credit but these types of houses are really hard to find.
2. Get copies of all three of your credit reports, and shell out the extra to include your credit score. Go over each report and make sure your records match the data on your credit report. The accounts that are paid off are paid off, the accounts that are closed are closed, etc. Then go about paying off any outstanding debt you may have. This will go along way in not only repairing your credit, but will also increase your credit score, which is the number most lending companies base your loan on. As for a down payment on a house... no matter how bad your credit, EVERYONE wants a down payment. It makes you more creditable with lenders, and in turn, it also makes an impact on your monthly mortgage payment. The more you can afford to put down, the better off you are. Also, a good resource is... http://debt.knowledged.info/credit_card.html Hope it all works out