On this episode of The Dog Tag, our hosts Jim Bob Mickler, VLB Deputy Director for Marketing & Outreach, and Jimmy Smaragdis, VLB Marketing Specialist, talk about the first steps to take when buying a home. Their guests include Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Strategic Products at Gateway Mortgage Group, Marcia Boyer, Loan Officer for Gateway Mortgage Group, and Kim Mangum, Loan Origination Manager for the VLB Veterans Land & Housing Program. Buying a home can be a very intimidating process, especially if it’s your first time, so we’re going to break it down with some of the most knowledgeable real estate people we know. On this first podcast we’ll cover the first two subjects related to buying a new home: credit scores and budgeting. We’ll discuss what credit is, why it’s important and how to obtain it. We’ll also go over how to read your credit report and fix any incorrect items, so you can raise your credit score. We’ll also talk about how to budget for a home including how to calculate your desired monthly payment. We’ll get into down payments, closing costs, housing-related expenses, loan terms and much more.