Answer: -In this current market, each and ever loan scenario is on a case-by-case basis: even with less-than-perfect credit, you may still qualify for a mortgage that will work for you.....or you might not.The only way to know for sure is to talk to a broker. If you are sure you have poor credit, I'd recommend a broker over a bank: banks are pretty strict on credit guidelines right now and a broker may have more options for you.Talk to your friends and family and see if anyone you know used a broker they really liked. Don't worry about the loan they got, just ask if your contacts used a broker who was great to deal with and had very open communication.If you find someone you like and can trust, they will help you explore YOUR specific options. If they use a credit program similar to the one my company uses, they may even be able to help you make some short-term plans to raise your FICO. I had some clients who were able to raise their mid-score by 56 points, and it only took 6 weeks and cost them $250.The important thing is that you find someone you trust,and have them help you step by step. -Based upon your question, you must have just recently paid off your debts that were past due. Your credit score will increase over time. You do NOT mention if you have any active credit accounts? If you do not, you are not going to be able to increase your credit score much in a short period of time because nothing will be reporting. I would suggest that you get a secured credit card, if that's the only one you can get at the moment. And make sure you pay if off timely! Do you own a car or are you making car payments? Are these being reported? That shows installment debt.Finally, if you can find someone who would possibly be willing to sell you property either as a contract for deed or under a lease purchase plan, and you can timely pay it for 12 months, you can obtain a mortgage through refinancing possibly.Sometimes time is just what heals all wounds. People just don't always understand that every action (failure to pay on time) can have a bad consequence in the future (tubing your credit score) But good luck! Sounds like you were doing the right thing to pay off your old debt. You should be fine in awhile.