The Delgados don't fall into the neat categories that lenders prefer when they make home loans. The family had a limited credit history and a confusing record on making the down payment on the house. Medley said she helped the Delgados untangle bank records to prove that they had made a down payment on the house. She also used bill payments as proof that the Delgados were a good risk for credit. It's not like going to the grocery store a couple of times a week.
Most people buy a home a couple of times in their lives.
The Web page has savings tips and calculators that let homebuyers crunch numbers before talking to real estate agents and mortgage lenders. To use the page, potential homebuyers don't need a computer at home. Brown said the public library systems in the two Kansas Citys and in Johnson County had a prominent link to the site. Brown said the Kansas City Home Buyer Education Center was another good program for untutored homebuyers. Private lenders such as Norwest Mortgage are also getting into the act.