I figure I am about a year away from wanting a mortgage. Currently, my credit has improved but it is still not what I want. About a year ago I was able to get a car loan. Six months ago I got 2 credit cards. I have handled these accounts perfectly. My student loans are also current, though balances are higher than I'd like. I do have 4 collections appearing. They are all several years old (2 tied to a bank account, 1 to a Gym account, and the other under dispute). I guess my question involves a good strategy to start getting ready. Is there any way to remove these collections?