we're doing this too- our mortgage guy recommended getting credit cards also- even a crappy pre-paid one will report positively to the credit bureaus. also, some state programs re-fund every year- we are getting our down payment from a fund in our state (which will be empty by fall and your end of year target would be a bad time for those funds). Also, figure out whose credit can be fixed first- and hope its whomever has the highest income. put all utilities in his/her name, and save all paid bills. save all cancelled rent checks. you need these for a year, if there is a red flag on your account.
as for fixing it up, habitat for humanity has a renovation store here where everything is dirt cheap- paint, the board to fix the front step, a slightly used toilet or appliance. find out if there's one in nh. also look for freecycle and craigslist near you- renovation supplies come up there a lot. you might also be able to get a land contract, which ends when you qualify for a mortgage, if you can find a desperate seller- there are quite a few folks out there who invested in cheap real estate but have found that being a landlord is more work than they thought.
as for fixing it up, habitat for humanity has a renovation store here where everything is dirt cheap- paint, the board to fix the front step, a slightly used toilet or appliance. find out if there's one in nh. also look for freecycle and craigslist near you- renovation supplies come up there a lot. you might also be able to get a land contract, which ends when you qualify for a mortgage, if you can find a desperate seller- there are quite a few folks out there who invested in cheap real estate but have found that being a landlord is more work than they thought.
