Income – A lender wants to know how much you can reasonably afford for a mortgage given your current income. Your W-2 forms, employer paychecks and public assistance documentation are all good resources to understand what your collective income is. Assets – On top of your income, a lender may want to know how your overall financial health is to determine if you can handle a responsibility like a mortgage. You will want to have an overall idea of your combined assets, savings, and real estate. Debts – A lender wants to know how much debt you have and look at your overall debt-to-income ratio in order to assess what you may be able to afford. Not sure what your debt-to-income ratio is? We’ve got you covered. This article explains everything you need to do. Credit – A peek into your credit history can offer a lender an idea of how responsible and creditworthy you are. Ensure that you are taking the steps in the right direction to build up a good FICO score.