I get asked all the time what should a first time home buyer know? That's a great question! First don't expect to know everything, that can get overwhelming. The first thing you should look at is your financial situation. A good mortgage person can guide through what you can and can't afford based on your finances. Once you know that information you need to get a Pre-Approval letter. Why? You are going to need this when submitting an offer once you find a home. Let's don't get to far ahead of ourselves. Before you pick your realtor, I suggest taking time to figure out what kind of home you desire and where you would like to live. By doing this you will be prepared to give your realtor information so that they can hit the road running for you.  The next thing you need to do is pick a realtor to assist you. Why? Because they are there to represent you, protect you, give you advice, assist you with negotiations, deal with all the paperwork and making sure everything goes smoothly all the way to closing. Pick a realtor who has experience, knowledge of the area, and a proven track record of success. One other thing to make sure of is that you are comfortable with them personally. Now you are ready to go look at homes. Whoa! Hold on a minute! How many homes did you pick to go see, my advice you should only view around 5 or 10 per day. The reason is because this may all be new to you and your ideas of what you want in a home might change once you see some homes. Take time at the end of the day to review what you saw and then make up a new list of what you desire so your realtorwill know what to show you on the next tour. This way you will be narrowing down exactly what you would like to have in a home. Allow your realtor to advise you in the options you may have in a home. Such as you may want an office but could a 3 or 4th bedroom do the job as well. These are things your realtor may ask you when you are touring homes. The better you communicate with your realtor and the better they communicate with you makes the process go so much smoother. There are many other things you will need to know as you go out home hunting and once you find your home. I am going to leave the rest up to you and your professional realtor to discuss. Happy Home Hunting!!