Here are the things that we learned during the early stages of the process of buying a house. 1. Save money for a down payment. Chris and I are lucky that we are first-time home buyers because it will allow us to pull that money from his IRA (read more about that here), but we would really rather not have to do that. So pull it from where ever you can. I found a website that had some really good suggestions (here) but I wish I had found it a year ago! Remember that the more you can put down on a house, the less you get financed, and the less your monthly mortgage payments. It can really make a huge HUGE difference! 2. Don't fall in love with the first, second, third, fiftieth, one hundredth, or last house you look at. As much as you can, make all of your decisions based on logical choices and not emotional reactions. I say this for two reasons: A: Yes, the front porch on that house is super cute and you can already see you and your hubby in your rocking chairs watching your children playing tag in the front yard, but are you really ready to rip up the floor, replace the roof, and put a new sink in the bathroom? B: Until you are under contract, that house is as much "yours" as it is "mine." The house we just lost to other bidders I was already moving my furniture into the living room, repainting and repurposing the laundry room, and having a party on the back porch to watch the football games. I was really sad when I realized I had to move my furniture out, take my clothes out of the laundry room, and cancel that party. Talk about having your dreams crushed! 3. When you walk into a home don't let the shag carpet and harvest gold toilet scare you. Look at the bones of the house. Consider the structure and the floor plan. If it is something you love, the rest of the "problems" you see are easily changeable. If you don't love the floor plan, no amount of sprucing up will every make that house a home for you. 4. Go back and look at the house after it rains. Is there a leak on the porch that you will have to fix? Are there any drainage issues? This is really important stuff especially if you have dogs. This is one of our main concerns! 5. Get a good realtor to help you. It can really make all the difference in the world. So now, we start our adventure again. This time, I will have my own rules to follow and I will already have a little experience under my belt to help along the way.