Practice Good Timing
Unfortunately it is all too easy to accidentally apply for credit at the wrong time. The biggest mistake that most borrowers make is applying for something like a credit card just moments before the mortgage deal is closed on the purchase or prior to the refinancing of a new home.
The reason this is a big mistake is that some mortgages lenders will look at your credit scores twice --- once at the time of application and once again before the loan closes. They do this to make sure that your credit score has remained the same or possibly improved. If you have given another lender such as a credit card company permission to look at your credit before the mortgage deal is closed the hard inquiry that the second lender makes could cause your credit score to drop. If this happens it could possibly sabotage the status of the first loan or mortgage.