It’s normal to be a little bit nervous. In fact, many people (both men and women) are outright terrified. You’re probably feeling very excited and you know that what you’re about to do signifies that you’re really growing up. You’re worried about the possible consequences, and you know that, once you go through with this, there’s no going back.

Yes, I’m talking about buying your first home, and the first home loan that goes along with it.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your first home buying experience a little bit easier. In fact, if you follow these five basic steps, you can take most of the pain out of the experience and make it an entirely positive thing.

1. Hire an agent. Hiring a buyer’s agent is going to help you in a number of ways. First of all, it’s going to save you a ton of time. On top of that, you’re going to benefit from the agent’s training and experience. Yes, you can go to open houses and look through listings online, but having an agent can help you in other ways. They can help you get through the necessary MLS parameters, they may be aware of new listings not yet on the market, and an experienced agent will help you know whether a home is overpriced.
2. Find the right home. Yes, that’s easier said than done. Chances are you’re going to look at many homes. Try to keep it down to less than half a dozen, however, just to keep your head from spinning. Concentrate on choosing a neighborhood first, because once you do you’ll only need to look at a few homes to find the right one.
3. Get your home loan. Not everyone needs to get a home loan in advance, but it can help. Some sellers won’t even consider your offer if they don’t know you’ve already been preapproved.
4. Negotiate. Now you’re to the place where you’re ready to make an offer. Your agent can help you by providing comparable sales in the area, but keep in mind that a seller can charge what they want. Know what you can pay, and stick to your guns.
5. Do the inspection. Some states require you to do this before you make a purchase offer, and in others your home inspection becomes a contract contingency. This lets you cancel the transaction if, for example, you discover the home has a faulty foundation.

Photo via Mister.Tee