My sister came out of a bad relationship a few years ago and was left with all of their debt. Due to a very limited income, she defaulted on some of the loans. Now she is with the man she plans to marry, has a great job and they are ready to buy a house together. They live in a low COL area, so they don't need much for a nice house. Because of her credit, they have had trouble qualifying for a loan. All of her old debts are paid and their only debts now are a car loan of $10,000+ for each of them (they won't sell the cars for anything cheaper). The couple has four large dogs and has had great difficulty finding any decent houses to rent. Does anyone have any tips to help improve credit or get qualified for a mortgage?