Homeownership has long been touted as the ultimate American Dream. And there are plenty of good reasons to own a home — namely, tax benefits, the chance to build equity, and not having a landlord to answer to. The problem, however, is that many people jump into homeownership when they’re not financially ready, which might explain why 2015 saw almost 1.1 million foreclosure filings across the U.S. If you’re intent on buying a place to call your own, here are three key financial moves to make before applying for that mortgage.