Free tools to check your homebuying readiness
You can answer "am I ready to buy?" without paying anyone and without a hard credit pull. Start with our three free tools below, then use the comparison table to pick the outside tool that fills whatever gap is left.
Our free tools first
Three questions, three free answers, no hard credit pull and no account required to get started.
Check affordability
What can I actually afford — not what a lender will approve?
Runs your real budget, including the expenses debt-to-income ratios ignore, and returns a comfort payment alongside the bank's maximum so you can see the gap.
Run the affordability checkCheck credit readiness
Is my credit where a mortgage lender needs it to be?
A soft-pull score check with mortgage-specific context: the middle-score rule, the thresholds that change your rate, and what to fix first. No hard inquiry.
Check my score freeGet a plan
What money is out there for me, and what do I do next?
Stacks the federal, state, county, and local down payment help you may qualify for into one ordered plan with the next action for each layer.
Build my planStart here: pick the question you actually have
I want a free readiness quiz
A five-minute scored quiz that grades credit, savings, debt, income stability, and timeline, then tells you which one is holding you back.
Take the readiness quizI want a free affordability calculator
A calculator that separates the lender's maximum from a payment you can actually live with, and shows the monthly costs buyers forget.
Open the calculatorI want my free credit score
A soft-pull score plus the mortgage context most free score apps skip: which of your three scores lenders use, and what moves it fastest.
Get my free scoreI want pre-approval options with no hard pull
Pre-qualification and soft-pull estimates let you test loan scenarios without an inquiry on your report. A hard pull only comes when you formally apply — and mortgage inquiries inside a 14-45 day window count as one.
Compare quotes without a hard pullEducation only. A readiness score is a self-assessment tool, not an eligibility determination. No lender is bound by it.
Readiness quizzes
A quiz is the fastest way to find your weakest link. It will not tell you a price range, but it will tell you whether credit, savings, or debt is the thing to fix first.
Home Approach Readiness Score
Home ApproachWeighted 0-100 score across credit, savings, debt, income stability, and timeline, with a tip for each band.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes — no pull at all
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Rough numbers only, no account linking
Fannie Mae HomeView readiness check
GSEShort self-assessment built into a national homebuyer education platform.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Yes, when you finish the full course
- Data needed:
- Account signup
CFPB Buying a House journey
GovernmentStep-by-step readiness walkthrough from the federal consumer protection agency.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- None
Homebuyer courses
Most down payment assistance programs require a homebuyer education certificate. Take the course early — the certificate is often valid for a year, and having it in hand stops it from delaying your closing.
Fannie Mae HomeView
GSEFree national homebuyer education course, seven modules, accepted by many lenders and programs.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Yes
- Data needed:
- Account signup
Framework Homeownership
NonprofitWidely accepted online course; fee varies and is sometimes covered by a lender or program.
- Cost:
- Often paid, sometimes sponsored
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Yes
- Data needed:
- Account signup
HUD-approved agency workshops
GovernmentIn-person or virtual classes from local HUD-approved agencies, plus a private counseling option.
- Cost:
- Free or low, disclosed upfront
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Yes
- Data needed:
- Registration details
Affordability calculators
Almost every calculator online answers the lender's question — the biggest loan you can be approved for. Very few answer yours: the payment that still leaves your life intact.
Home Approach Real Affordability
Home ApproachShows bank maximum next to a comfort target, and adds the ghost expenses standard calculators skip.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Income, debts, savings, rough expenses
Home Approach Cash to Close
Home ApproachBreaks down the total cash you need at the table and why it moves between estimate and closing.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Price, down payment, credits
CFPB Explore Interest Rates
GovernmentNeutral, ad-free rate ranges by credit score, state, and loan type.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Score range, state, price
Education only. Calculator outputs are estimates based on the numbers you enter and are not a loan offer, a pre-approval, or a commitment to lend. Your actual payment depends on your lender, rate, taxes, and insurance.
Credit tools
Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and never lowers your score. Only a lender's formal application creates a hard pull — and mortgage shopping inside a short window counts as a single inquiry.
Home Approach Check My Score
Home ApproachSoft-pull score with mortgage-specific context on the middle-score rule and rate thresholds.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes — soft pull only
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Identity verification
AnnualCreditReport.com
GovernmentThe federally authorized source for your full reports from all three bureaus.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Identity verification
Home Approach Raise Your Score
Home ApproachThe fastest legitimate score moves before a mortgage, in the order they pay off.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- None
Free counseling
A HUD-approved counselor will review your actual file with you and hand you a written action plan — free. It is the single most underused tool on this page.
HUD counselor locator
GovernmentSearch HUD-approved agencies by ZIP, with specialty and language filters plus referral hotlines.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Available through the agency
- Data needed:
- Full financial picture in session
National nonprofit programs
NonprofitNeighborWorks, NACA, Habitat, and NFCC compared on who they fit and what they require.
- Cost:
- Free or low
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- Varies by program
- Data needed:
- Income and household details
Homeowner's HOPE Hotline
Nonprofit24/7 free counseling line, including urgent foreclosure and payment-trouble help.
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate:
- No
- Data needed:
- Loan and hardship details
Education only, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Home Approach is not a lender and does not administer assistance programs. Free HUD-approved counseling is available independently of anything on this site.
Compare every tool side by side
Same six questions for every tool: what it costs, whether it touches your credit, whether it produces a certificate, how personalized it is, what data you hand over, and what to do next.
Readiness quizzes
| Feature | Home Approach Readiness Score | Fannie Mae HomeView readiness check | CFPB Buying a House journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| No credit pull | Yes — no pull at all | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate available | No | Yes, when you finish the full course | No |
| Personalization | High — your inputs, scored and explained | Low — general guidance | Low — educational path |
| Data needed | Rough numbers only, no account linking | Account signup | None |
| Best next step | Fix your lowest-scoring factor | Continue into the free course | Work through the affordability step |
Home Approach Readiness Score
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes — no pull at all
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- High — your inputs, scored and explained
- Data needed:
- Rough numbers only, no account linking
- Best next step:
- Fix your lowest-scoring factor
Fannie Mae HomeView readiness check
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Yes, when you finish the full course
- Personalization:
- Low — general guidance
- Data needed:
- Account signup
- Best next step:
- Continue into the free course
CFPB Buying a House journey
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- Low — educational path
- Data needed:
- None
- Best next step:
- Work through the affordability step
Homebuyer courses
| Feature | Fannie Mae HomeView | Framework Homeownership | HUD-approved agency workshops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Often paid, sometimes sponsored | Free or low, disclosed upfront |
| No credit pull | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personalization | Low — standard curriculum | Low | Medium — local programs covered |
| Data needed | Account signup | Account signup | Registration details |
| Best next step | Save the certificate PDF | Ask if your program sponsors the fee | Find your local agency |
Fannie Mae HomeView
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Yes
- Personalization:
- Low — standard curriculum
- Data needed:
- Account signup
- Best next step:
- Save the certificate PDF
Framework Homeownership
- Cost:
- Often paid, sometimes sponsored
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Yes
- Personalization:
- Low
- Data needed:
- Account signup
- Best next step:
- Ask if your program sponsors the fee
HUD-approved agency workshops
- Cost:
- Free or low, disclosed upfront
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Yes
- Personalization:
- Medium — local programs covered
- Data needed:
- Registration details
- Best next step:
- Find your local agency
Affordability calculators
| Feature | Home Approach Real Affordability | Home Approach Cash to Close | CFPB Explore Interest Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| No credit pull | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate available | No | No | No |
| Personalization | High | Medium | Medium |
| Data needed | Income, debts, savings, rough expenses | Price, down payment, credits | Score range, state, price |
| Best next step | Set your target price and payment | Budget your closing cash | Sanity-check any quote you receive |
Home Approach Real Affordability
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- High
- Data needed:
- Income, debts, savings, rough expenses
- Best next step:
- Set your target price and payment
Home Approach Cash to Close
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- Medium
- Data needed:
- Price, down payment, credits
- Best next step:
- Budget your closing cash
CFPB Explore Interest Rates
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- Medium
- Data needed:
- Score range, state, price
- Best next step:
- Sanity-check any quote you receive
Credit tools
| Feature | Home Approach Check My Score | AnnualCreditReport.com | Home Approach Raise Your Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| No credit pull | Yes — soft pull only | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate available | No | No | No |
| Personalization | High | High — your actual file | Medium |
| Data needed | Identity verification | Identity verification | None |
| Best next step | Work the fix-first list | Dispute anything inaccurate | Start the 30-60 day plan |
Home Approach Check My Score
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes — soft pull only
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- High
- Data needed:
- Identity verification
- Best next step:
- Work the fix-first list
AnnualCreditReport.com
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- High — your actual file
- Data needed:
- Identity verification
- Best next step:
- Dispute anything inaccurate
Home Approach Raise Your Score
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- Medium
- Data needed:
- None
- Best next step:
- Start the 30-60 day plan
Free counseling
| Feature | HUD counselor locator | National nonprofit programs | Homeowner's HOPE Hotline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free or low | Free |
| No credit pull | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Certificate available | Available through the agency | Varies by program | No |
| Personalization | Highest — a person reviews your file | High | High |
| Data needed | Full financial picture in session | Income and household details | Loan and hardship details |
| Best next step | Book a pre-purchase session | Pick the org that matches your barrier | Call (888) 995-4673 |
HUD counselor locator
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Available through the agency
- Personalization:
- Highest — a person reviews your file
- Data needed:
- Full financial picture in session
- Best next step:
- Book a pre-purchase session
National nonprofit programs
- Cost:
- Free or low
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- Varies by program
- Personalization:
- High
- Data needed:
- Income and household details
- Best next step:
- Pick the org that matches your barrier
Homeowner's HOPE Hotline
- Cost:
- Free
- No credit pull:
- Yes
- Certificate available:
- No
- Personalization:
- High
- Data needed:
- Loan and hardship details
- Best next step:
- Call (888) 995-4673
Next step: score your readiness, then fix the weakest factor.
Why these tools made the list
The list spans government, GSE, nonprofit, marketplace, and lender-adjacent sources on purpose. Four rules decided what stayed.
- Free to use: Every tool here has a genuinely free path. Where a fee can appear — some course certificates — we say so in the table instead of burying it.
- Reputable source: The list deliberately mixes government (CFPB, HUD, AnnualCreditReport), GSE (Fannie Mae), nonprofit (NeighborWorks, NFCC, Framework), marketplace, and lender-adjacent tools, so no single business model shapes the advice.
- Actionable: A tool earns a spot only if it ends with something you can do — a number, a plan, a certificate, or an appointment. Score dashboards with no next step did not make it.
- Beginner friendly: No industry vocabulary required, no account linking to your bank required to get a first answer, and no hard credit pull anywhere on this page.
Common questions
Education only, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Home Approach is not a lender and does not administer assistance programs. Free HUD-approved counseling is available independently of anything on this site.