Car is almost paid off!!!

Well, I was able to refinance my car and now I don't have a whole lot left on the loan. With that, I have decided that I want to start saving for a house. I'm using the savings help of Smarty Pig to help me stay focused on my goal and I'm tracking my progress very publicly (see the side bar). I've also been tracking my credit score, for free, at Quizzle and Credit Karma so that I know when my score is looking high enough to apply for a loan. My plan is to have a sizable down payment (I'm starting with a goal of 20,000 at this time) and have a better score than I do now (it's not so hot) and qualify for a loan before I start looking at houses, so I know exactly how much money I have to work with.