Your real estate agent is your ally! Your first home is the most exciting purchase that you will ever make. This is the one purchase that will make you feel that you have finally become the successful, responsible person that your parents always wanted you to be! Your wish list may be long and your budget may be short. You will likely be a bundle of nerves and filled with questions. It all begins with finding a real estate agent that you can trust. A good agent will guide you through every step of the process. The process can be daunting for the 1st time buyer. A good agent will listen to your wishes, understand your first-time buyer jitters, and make you feel safe as you navigate the new frontier of home ownership. You need an approachable real estate agent who understands and shares your excitement about owning your first home.

Prequalify! You may be thinking prime rib, but your checkbook says ground chuck. Fortunately, there are many incentives for first-time buyers that may be able to help you get a bite of prime rib. You should prequalify with a lender who is familiar with financing options for first-time buyers. If you prequalify before you fall in love with cottages and picket fences, it will take a load of stress off your shoulders. Don’t be embarrassed if your financial pedigree is less than Donald Trump’s. Be honest with your lending professional. Odds are, he’s been right where you are at some point.

Be Realistic! Now that you’ve prequalified, the search is on. You may need to realize that your first home may not be as big as you wanted, and it may not be in the hippest part of town with all the folks you aspire to be. That’s okay! Those folks most likely didn’t start out in Hippville either. Your Hippville address can still be a goal. Get your starter home. Update it. Care for it. Build equity. Hopefully, you can sell it for a profit and head off to your own Hippville address.

Explore your town; the whole town! If Hippville is not in the cards, you need a broad knowledge of your entire area. You will probably find some overlooked places that are a better fit for your current budget. Yes, Hippville is a cool place. However, if you take a close look at some of the more affordable areas, you will probably find something cool there too!

Inventory is low! Okay, you have a top notch real estate agent, and your lender has your financing squared away. You’re clear-headed about what you can afford and where you can afford. Now, you have to act fast because Inventory is low. There are simply more buyers than sellers, particularly in most first-time buyers' price ranges. So, if you find your dream home, make an offer! If you don’t, someone else will beat you to it. You’ve done your homework. You can feel confident being the first to make an offer!