WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congress took up the issue of sub-prime mortgages this week, looking into why the nation's banking system extended big home loans to people who most likely cannot afford to repay them. It's a problem experts have been predicting for quite some time. But how will the shake-up in sub-prime loan industry effect your ability to get a mortgage? When it comes to buying a home these days the meltdown in the sub-prime market is making things a bit more complicated. Real people looking to buy a home are dealing with the fallout. And it could be a negative or positive based on how good your credit is. If you've got bad credit or no credit, your rating is probably fairly low -- around 620 on the 850-point scale. Experts say you'll have a tough time finding a loan today as banks are not underwriting mortgages for sub-prime borrowers any more. Next up the mortgage scale are people in the middle tier who have relatively good credit, but can't document income or assets. People in this group will likely be required to make bigger down payments and deal with higher rates and fees to buy a home. If you're a "prime borrower" -- someone with great credit and well-documented income -- this might be a great time to take out a mortgage. Bankers, looking for a sure thing, are offering these people great terms on traditional home loans.