Running my credit report

So, my phone just dinged, and alerted me to the event I created to remind myself to run my credit report. I originally planned on running it and dealing with anything I found on it before talking to a loan officer about a mortgage, but after discussing it with a good friend, I decided to wait. I ran my credit history just over a year ago. I ran the reports for free, via the only truly free credit report site, AnnualCreditReport, which I found thanks to Clark Howard. I was able to get all three of my reports (one from each major reporting bureau, Experian, Transunion, and Equifax) with no hassle.
At the time, I looked them over, and everything on them was positive, except for one thing, which only appeared on one report. The item was a debt that was sent to collection a few years ago from an apartment complex I where had previously lived. Originally, I felt I needed to address that debt before looking into a loan, as it would make it harder for me. I wasn't sure whether I was going to try to contact them and address the debt, or first run the report to see if it was still on there. I'm certain it is, but because of my credit score, I figure paying that off could wait until after I consult with someone about a loan.
I may be going in blind when I don't run the report, but I will have a few months between when I go to talk to a loan officer and when I will actually need a loan for a house. That time will allow me to address any issues they feel need to be addressed.
Now, the fact that it was over a year since I last ran my credit history may cause some concern, there's no telling what's new on there. I know that I haven't missed a single payment on any of my debt. I have opened very little new credit. And I don't think there have been very many requests for my history in that time period. There have been a few instances where my personal information may have been leaked because of things that happened to companies I've had dealings with (Sony, with their Playstation thing for one, and there were others that don't come to mind right away). But I've had no indication that anything has happened, so for now I'm going to live in peaceful ignorance. Obviously, at the first hint of anything from a loan officer I will be running my credit report.
Another thing to note, I am lucky when it comes to this, that I live in Georgia. The state allows for you to run an extra credit report from each agency (beyond the mandatory free one from the Feds) for free once per year. So if I need to, I can run it twice at no cost.