If you are thinking about looking for a home in the next year, you should talk to a lender now, and get pre-qualified. Pennie Sommar, Vice President of Retail Banking and Business Development at Iowa State Savings Bank in Knoxville says the new rules for mortgage lending are in effect, and lending is very much credit-score driven. If you have anything in your credit history that might bring your score down, your lender can help you get that credit report cleaned up. She stresses that it is the lender’s job to help buyers get in a good position to buy a home, and the only way to do that is to have that first conversation.