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Sally Said:

What Mortgage Lenders/Banks should I avoid?

We Answered:

Quicken, Everbank, and Compass are names I know.

But... be careful - they are pushers of things that are Evil.
They will try to scam you into variable loans, ARMs, 5/1's, 5/5's.
Interest rates could easily double in 5 to 7 years.
Making your interest portion of your payment almost double - and you could lose your home.

None of these companies are your friends.
You must stick to 15 or 30 year FIXED.
And don't let these sharks take advantage of you by signing something you do not undertand.

Google:
How much house I can afford and do your research.
These banks will push the maximum so you will lose your home in the future.
Go by what you feel is comfortable for you.
Your mortgage monthly payment should not be more than 25% of your take home pay.
Or 35% of your net pay.
Good rule: Don't go over three times your salary.

Go get a book called
Home Buying for Dummies - not for dummies at all - very good
At your library or bookstore...

Craig Said:

Can my partner and I get a mortgage if he has with a CCJ?

We Answered:

You just have to shop around. Neither I, nor my husband have great credit. If you have decent credit, you should be able to receive approval just through yourself. His name can still be on the house, but it'd just be yours on the loan. That's what we did. Check around online. One company is called quickenloans.com. I think you have to have a minimum of a 620 credit score for them though. Just keep trying. If you already have a real estate agent, talk to him/her about your situation. Ours really helped us. Good luck!