Look into Financial Peace University. They have a website where you can get great information and resources. First thing, pay off your debt. Budget for every dollar and account for pocket money (eating out, movies, etc...you may need to cut back in order to pay down debt faster...be disciplined and aggressive). Use the snowball effect. Pay your smallest debt first (lets say it's a department store credit card) and pay the minimum payment on the rest. Once your smallest debt is paid off, roll over the amount you were paying on your department store credit card to the next smallest debt on top of the minimum balance. Remember that every dollar counts. Look for ways to save and use that money to pay off debt. Once your debt is paid off then begin to save aggressively. During this time, do your research on the housing market and decide where you would like to buy. Find out what you can actually afford (not what you "qualify" for which is usually much higher then what people can actually afford). Factor in the % you would need to put down to get the monthly mortgage payment that you can afford. Factor in HOA fees, maintenance and all other bills that come with owning your home. Always aim to have at least $2,000 - $4,000 in a savings account for emergencies. Good luck!
