HUD's counselor training breaks readiness into concrete pieces: is your income stable and documentable, do you expect a job or location change soon, have you been paying bills (including rent) on time, do you have savings for upfront costs and an emergency cushion, and does a realistic monthly payment fit your budget with room left for maintenance?

Notice what is NOT on the list: a perfect credit score, a 20% down payment, or a finished feeling of certainty. Most first-time buyers in our four states buy with far less than 20% down, and many use assistance for part of the rest.

The honest shortcut: answer our assessment, then take the result to a HUD-approved counselor. Counselors run exactly this readiness review every day, free, and they will tell you the truth — including "give it a year, and here's the plan for that year."