Hoping to Buy a Home in 2025? Make These Key Moves ASAP

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There’s reason to believe that buying a home will be easier in 2025. Mortgage rates are expected to fall as the Federal Reserve continues on its path of cutting its benchmark rate. And once that happens, you may find that you’re more easily able to afford a home loan.Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026
This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!
Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes. Plus, as mortgage rates fall, more people should be interested in selling their homes. Right now, real estate inventory is fairly low because homeowners who locked in ultra-affordable mortgage rates in 2020 and 2021 don’t want to give them up. But as mortgage rates drop, more homes could hit the market.If you’re hoping to buy a home in 2025, now’s the time to set yourself up for success. Here are three essential moves to make that could set the stage for a home purchase in the new year.1. Work on boosting your credit scoreIt generally takes a minimum credit score of 620 to qualify for a conventional mortgage. And lenders are allowed to impose a higher minimum for borrowers.But the higher your credit score, the more likely you are to not only get approved for a mortgage, but also, snag an affordable rate on one. And if you shop around for a mortgage as a borrower with strong credit, you may find that you’re able to get plenty of offers that work for you.Click here for a list of our favorite mortgage lenders.To boost your credit score, make a point to pay every bill on time, and try to reduce balances on your credit cards. Also, check your credit report for errors, because mistakes are more common than you’d think.And you should know that it’s important to pull a copy of your credit report from each reporting bureau — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. It’s totally possible for each of your credit reports to contain different information.And if even one contains a mistake that indicates you’re a less reliable borrower, like a late payment that isn’t legitimate, it could hurt your mortgage chances or leave you paying more to finance a home. Since those credit reports are yours to access for free, it pays to be thorough.2. Try to reduce your overall debtIn addition to your credit score, mortgage lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, to determine whether you’re qualified for a home loan or not. The higher your DTI, the more of a red flag it raises.A higher DTI tells lenders that you already have quite a lot of debt relative to your income. So if you’re able to reduce your debt, such as paying off credit card balances or personal loans, you can set yourself up to qualify to borrow for a home.Typically, mortgage lenders want your DTI to be 36% or less — meaning, you spend 36% of your income or less on debt payments. You can get approved with a higher DTI, but beyond the low- to mid-40s, it gets tougher to qualify for a mortgage.3. Save more for a down paymentIn September, the median existing home sold for $404,500, says the National Association of Realtors. That’s a 3% increase from a year prior and the 15th month in a row when home prices rose on an annual basis.Because home prices are elevated, it’s a good idea to bring more money to the table as a down payment. Doing so could mean lowering your monthly mortgage payments — and also, paying less interest on your mortgage overall. Also, if you’re able to put down 20% of your home’s purchase price at closing, you can avoid private mortgage insurance, which is an extra expense you’d otherwise have to deal with.You may find that 2025 is a great time to purchase a home. But make these moves as soon as you can to increase your chances of not only getting approved for a mortgage, but snagging a loan you can comfortably afford.Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026
This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!
Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes. We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.”}]] [[{“value”:”

There’s reason to believe that buying a home will be easier in 2025. Mortgage rates are expected to fall as the Federal Reserve continues on its path of cutting its benchmark rate. And once that happens, you may find that you’re more easily able to afford a home loan.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Plus, as mortgage rates fall, more people should be interested in selling their homes. Right now, real estate inventory is fairly low because homeowners who locked in ultra-affordable mortgage rates in 2020 and 2021 don’t want to give them up. But as mortgage rates drop, more homes could hit the market.

If you’re hoping to buy a home in 2025, now’s the time to set yourself up for success. Here are three essential moves to make that could set the stage for a home purchase in the new year.

1. Work on boosting your credit score

It generally takes a minimum credit score of 620 to qualify for a conventional mortgage. And lenders are allowed to impose a higher minimum for borrowers.

But the higher your credit score, the more likely you are to not only get approved for a mortgage, but also, snag an affordable rate on one. And if you shop around for a mortgage as a borrower with strong credit, you may find that you’re able to get plenty of offers that work for you.

Click here for a list of our favorite mortgage lenders.

To boost your credit score, make a point to pay every bill on time, and try to reduce balances on your credit cards. Also, check your credit report for errors, because mistakes are more common than you’d think.

And you should know that it’s important to pull a copy of your credit report from each reporting bureau — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. It’s totally possible for each of your credit reports to contain different information.

And if even one contains a mistake that indicates you’re a less reliable borrower, like a late payment that isn’t legitimate, it could hurt your mortgage chances or leave you paying more to finance a home. Since those credit reports are yours to access for free, it pays to be thorough.

2. Try to reduce your overall debt

In addition to your credit score, mortgage lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, to determine whether you’re qualified for a home loan or not. The higher your DTI, the more of a red flag it raises.

A higher DTI tells lenders that you already have quite a lot of debt relative to your income. So if you’re able to reduce your debt, such as paying off credit card balances or personal loans, you can set yourself up to qualify to borrow for a home.

Typically, mortgage lenders want your DTI to be 36% or less — meaning, you spend 36% of your income or less on debt payments. You can get approved with a higher DTI, but beyond the low- to mid-40s, it gets tougher to qualify for a mortgage.

3. Save more for a down payment

In September, the median existing home sold for $404,500, says the National Association of Realtors. That’s a 3% increase from a year prior and the 15th month in a row when home prices rose on an annual basis.

Because home prices are elevated, it’s a good idea to bring more money to the table as a down payment. Doing so could mean lowering your monthly mortgage payments — and also, paying less interest on your mortgage overall. Also, if you’re able to put down 20% of your home’s purchase price at closing, you can avoid private mortgage insurance, which is an extra expense you’d otherwise have to deal with.

You may find that 2025 is a great time to purchase a home. But make these moves as soon as you can to increase your chances of not only getting approved for a mortgage, but snagging a loan you can comfortably afford.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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