Month 0–3 — Baseline and clean-up
Pull all three credit reports the week you move in. Dispute any errors. Pay down credit card balances to below 30% of limits (10% is even better). Settle any small collections — pennies on the dollar is fine, just get them off your report.
Pick one credit card to use for routine spending and pay it in full each month. Add a small secured card if your file is thin.
Month 3–12 — Income and savings
Lenders want two consistent years of documented income. If you are W-2, ride it out and increase your income where possible. If you are 1099/self-employed, this is where you must file two clean tax returns showing rising net income.
Automate savings on the day you get paid. Even $200/month over 24 months is $4,800 — meaningful when added to your option fee and credits.
Month 12–18 — Practice qualify
Talk to 2–3 mortgage brokers. Ask them: 'Given my file today, what would I qualify for? What changes between now and month 24 would change the answer?' This is a free, no-credit-pull conversation if you ask for it that way.
Their answers tell you what to fix before it matters.
Month 18–22 — Lock the lender
Pick a lender and submit a full application. They will pull your credit, verify income, and tell you the exact loan amount you qualify for. Compare against your option's purchase price — if there is a gap, you have 4 months to bring extra cash or have the seller agree to seller-credit at closing.
Month 22–24 — Close
Order the appraisal, schedule the closing, transfer the option fee and accumulated rent credits as part of your down payment. Walk into closing as an owner. The lease ends the day you take title.