Home buying help - buying a home should be one of the most exciting times in your life. But often times the fun is overshadowed by anxiety — anxiety as a result of not really understanding your own housing needs and financial situation, and not thoroughly understanding the home buying process.

A little research and honest self-evaluation will go a long way towards providing a pleasant, trouble free home buying experience. First, determine if you really are ready to become a home owner. A question to ask when buying a home: Do you have a stable income and do you plan to stay in this home for at least a few years? Can you afford the payments on a home? Determine what price range you truly can afford and reconcile that in your mind before beginning your search.

Talk to a financial advisor or a mortgage lender for more advice. Second, take advantage of the information explosion of the internet. The internet is now one of your best tools for researching the real estate market and for helping you narrow down your prospective homes. View thousands of homes from the comfort of your own home — not only the homes you are thinking about buying, but as many homes as possible to help you determine your likes and dislikes, your favorite area to live, the type of home you like, styles that appeal to you, etc.

From all of this information that you have gathered, make a detailed “Buying a Home Checklist” of everything that you want in a home. Third, talk to real estate agents, family, and friends about the local real estate market and their home buying experiences. Get as much information as possible so that you can avoid any mistakes others have made and create a smooth home buying experience for yourself. Fourth, take the time to drive by the areas that interest you.

Go to open houses to see what different houses and areas look and feel like. Try to get a feel for the area. Determine if the area is a good fit for you. Talk to the real estate agents at the open houses. Use this time to weed out realtors that will not be a good fit for you and try to find some that have the same philosophy as you. Add the potential realtors to a list of agents that could possibly work for you. Fifth, choose your real estate agent and get serious about the house hunting. Once you find the home you have been looking for, close the deal. This part entails a lot of paperwork, but the end result is that you FINALLY hold the keys to your new home!