For first time home buyers, the feelings of excitement for their new abode can often be accompanied (and at times overshadowed) by feeling nervous and overwhelmed by the whole home buying process. Fear not, this is totally normal! However, with a little knowledge under your belt, the whole process can begin to feel more familiar - thus calming the nerves – and allowing you to get back to enjoying the experience. And as you may have guessed, that is exactly what we are going to be chatting about in today’s blog. Below we have listed ten tips to help first time home buyers understand and navigate the home buying process with ease. Enjoy!
 
1.) The first tip is to attain a copy of your credit report. There are numerous online websites you can get this from to better understand the health and history of your credit so there are no surprises.
 
2.) The second tip is to improve your credit score if necessary. There are various ways to do this such as paying down high balances on cards that are currently open.
 
3.) The third tip is to get pre-approved before you start your house hunting search. This will allow you to understand what you can afford and thus search areas/neighborhoods accordingly. The last thing you want to do is fall in love with something that is out of your budget range. 
 
4.) The fourth tip is to see if you qualify for an FHA loan, which is a government-backed mortgage that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration, and popular for first time home buyers.
 
5.) The fifth tip is to know and fully understand your down payment options. 
 
6.) The sixth tip is to hire an experienced real estate agent to represent and work with you during the home buying process. This is a very crucial step as you will be working closely with your agent and you want to be sure they are familiar the local market and understand your wants/needs.
 
7.) The seventh tip is to budget for all homeownership expenses. Many people only focus on what the house itself with cost, but sometimes do not consider all the other costs that will arise. Again, you want to do your best to alleviate all surprises for the future.
 
8.) The eighth tip is to understand your debt-to-income ratio, and to make adjustments where needed.
 
9.) The ninth tip is to check for first-time home buyer grants and programs to see if you can take advantage of any that are being offered. 
 
10.) And finally, our tenth step is to fully understand the different types of loans that are available. This will ensure that you are making the right decision for you and your family.