If you're thinking about purchasing a home in 2017, saving money, monitoring your credit and getting together the proper documents for your mortgage broker will help you get ready for your upcoming real estate transaction.

Find a Mortgage Lender

You may not be planning to buy at this very minute, but picking a mortgage lender early will help you plan for the upcoming purchase. Contact several lenders in your area before settling on the lender that's right for your needs.

During your conversations with lenders, ask them what kind of paperwork you should be gathering and what kind of preparations you should be making to buy a home. Having these conversations with lenders will help you get your financial affairs in order for the home purchase.

Gather Your Down Payment

Lenders, in most cases, require a down payment from home buyers. Usually the down payment is a percentage of the cost of the home you eventually choose. The size of the down payment required depends on the lender, the type of loan, the buyer's credit history and other factors. Your mortgage lender will be able to tell you how much down payment you should plan to have on hand when it's time to buy.

Talk to your lender, then review your assets. Once you know how much you need to have in savings and and how much you have right now, you'll be able to create a budget that will help you reach your goals.

Check Your Credit

It's important to have a good credit history when it's time to take out a loan. A good credit report and credit score will likely make you eligible for lower loan interest rates.

To ensure that your credit report is accurate, you'll want to check your credit - something you can do for free once every year. Check the credit report for errors and follow the procedure for getting your credit report corrected. This involves communicating with the credit reporting agency directly, so get started on this as soon as possible.

Cut Back on Clutter

Eliminating clutter from your home will make moving easier and will reduce stress during the packing and buying process. Start going through closets and your other storage areas. Make plans to sell, donate or throw away the things that you don't want and don't believe you'll need in your new home.

Start Attending Open Houses

Attending open houses will show you what kind of homes are available on the market. Winter is a time when few houses go on the market and not many open houses are scheduled, but as spring approaches there will be more events to attend.

Once you know how much you can afford to spend, you can start attending open houses for homes in your price range.

Work With an Agent

Working with an experienced real estate agent is an important part of buying a home. Start looking at real estate agents in your area, or in the area you plan to move to now. Knowing who you want to work with will help you get a jump start on the buying process when the time comes.

2017 is approaching quickly! Now is the time to get started buying a home. To find out more about preparing for a home purchase, talk to a real estate agent. Your agent can give you more suggestions to prepare for the home buying process to fit your unique situation.