The ultimate guide to buying your first home

Buying a first home is less about luck and more about sequence. Get your financing in order before you fall in love with a floor plan, and the rest of the process becomes far calmer.

Start with an honest budget that includes closing costs, insurance and the first year of maintenance. Then get a pre-approval so your offer carries weight when a property you want appears.

Finally, view widely before you narrow. Ten viewings teach you more about what you value than ten hours of browsing listings ever will.