Getting a mortgage is not something that takes just a few hours or a few days. There are many steps to the process, and it generally takes at least a month. In many cases, it will take a few months. You can get pre-approved very quickly, but you then need to allow a lot of time for the lender to go over the case when you really apply for the loan. During this time, they will look at your work history, your debt, and things of this nature. They will try to establish whether or not you are dependable enough to get the loan. One thing that they will check during this process is your credit score. This is just a number that is assigned to you that shows what you have done in the past when you have had debt. If you have defaulted on a lot of it, your score will go down. If you have declared bankruptcy, it will go down significantly. If you have paid off all of your debt quickly and efficiently, though, it will go up. This shows that you are responsible and that you know how to handle your money. The higher your credit score, the higher the odds that you will be given the loan that you need in order to buy the house. When you get your report, it may help you to look at a credit score chart. This will show you how high or low it can be. The credit score chart will tell you what the different levels means. For example, you need to know the difference between a score of 720 and a score of 620. While one hundred points may not seem like that much, it can make a huge difference in the way that you look to the lender. Looking at a credit score chart will not change whether or not you get the loan. At this point, it will be too late for you to do much to change your score. However, it can tell you what the numbers mean so that you have a better understanding of the process.