Buying your first home is an exciting experience and you probably want everything to go smoothly. Take a look at the tips below that are sure to have you in your first home with nary a hiccup.

Don't Forget to Budget

Not everyone feels the need to create and follow a budget. If you don't have one yet, buying a home is a huge financial endeavor. Now is the time to begin the process. If you do have a budget, it likely will need some tweaking. With that in mind:

• Make note of your take-home income.
• Make a list of your non-housing expenses.
• Deduct those non-housing expenses from your take-home pay and that number is what you have left for housing expenses.
• Housing expenses cover your mortgage, insurance, utilities, property taxes, and more. Experts say you should never exceed 28% or so of your income for housing but that figure may not work for you.

Save Up Some Cash

You will need cash for not only the down payment but for closing costs. As far as down payments go, the amount required depends on the type of loan you have but the more you have the lower the costs of your loan and your monthly payment. Closing costs are based on your home purchase price and you can estimate that at about 3–4%.

Monitor Your Credit

Order some credit reports from the big three monitoring agencies and scrutinize them for errors. It can take months to make corrections so do this without delay. Your interest rate and so much more are riding on a good, high score so be sure to get a score report too.

Familiarize Yourself With Your Local Real Estate Market

You don't have to be a real estate expert to Google some articles about your local real estate market. Are you dealing with a buyer's market (good for you) or a seller's market (good for them)? Also, do some preliminary searches for homes that meet your needs in the areas you want to live in.

Then, speak to a real estate agent to find out more. They can advise you on how quickly homes are selling, what the average price for a home is in your target area, and how much competition you will face. They can also get you started by showing you a few homes and inviting you to some open house events. You can learn a lot about what you want and don't want by touring homes.

To find out more about how to buy a home, speak to a real estate agent.