If you're not a homeowner or you have very poor credit, consider debt relief instead of a mortgage.

1) Type of debt:

Credit Card Debt
Student Loan Debt
Tax Debt
Other Debt

2) What State do you live in?

 
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Qualifying for Reductions

Even after you've applied for all possible grants and scholarships, you may still find yourself racking up a significant number of student loans. Building a long-term strategy while you're still in college to pay down your student loan debt will help you manage your credit and get out of debt faster than many of your fellow students.

Give Back to the Community
Spending a year in a service organization like AmeriCorps, VISTA, or the Peace Corps can usually reduce your student loan debt by up to $5,000. Joining the Army National Guard can eliminate up to $10,000 from your debt load. Teachers who serve in qualifying urban or rural schools can wipe out all of their student loan debt over a period of five years. Lawyers, doctors, and nurses can also eliminate debts by working for government advocacy agencies for a year or two after graduation.

Pick a Generous Employer
A growing number of private employers offer tuition reimbursement programs, which means you may not have to apply for loans. In fields like accounting and engineering, many employers find themselves exhausting the pool of recent graduates before they can fill all of their open positions.

By extending tuition payments to students, these employers hope to lock up the best talent before graduation. If your grades are solid, you can start contacting recruiters after your second year. When you commit to work for a participating employer for a few years, you may be able to earn the same kind of tuition benefits that their current employees enjoy.

Consolidate Your Loans
Finally, if you still have some student loans left on your balance sheet, you can save money by consolidating your loans. Student loan consolidation rolls up all of your loans from various lenders and programs under one large loan with one interest rate, which is a weighted average of all of the loans you include in the consolidation. You will then have one monthly loan payment with one lender. You can apply for a consolidation loan from a private lender or from the Department of Education.