Five smart tips for buying 1st house

Published 3:10 pm Friday, September 13, 2013

As the housing market picks up steam, a host of opportunities and challenges will lay ahead for new home shoppers — particularly first-time homebuyers.

Before setting out to find that first home, it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about buyer basics, especially those related to credit and mortgage terms.

A wide variety of websites offer advice for first-time homebuyers. Here’s a sampling of some sites with useful information:

Bankrate.com: Contains five steps to buying a home for the first time. tinyurl.com/1sthouse1

Investopedia: Explores the first-time home buying process and post-purchase considerations. tinyurl.com/1sthouse2

National Association of Realtors: Offers an array of insights through 10 basic steps to home ownership. tinyurl.com/1sthouse3

RealEstateABC.com: Discusses key considerations for first-time homebuyers. tinyurl.com/1sthouse4

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Serves up 100 questions and answers related to buying a new home. tinyurl.com/1sthouse5