advice for first time home buyer?

[BG1124]

Credit history ratings are a very important part of owning a home. In order to get the best possible rate for your mortgage I would recommend 2 things. The first is to pay off that 15k student debt as fast as you can to get it off your credit history. After you have done that, you should probably co-sign with your wife as it seems her credit history is more established than yours with all her payments being on time.

It's good that you've already applied for a modest credit card. It would be a good idea to use it to try to build up your own credit history. I would recommend trying to get 1 or 2 more down the line (after you've had a good history with your first card) to show that you can handle purchasing on credit and making payments on time without a problem.