Buying a home is a process in and of itself. However, buying your first home is an entirely different experience altogether. It is likely that emotions will run high when you are about to commit to what is probably the biggest purchase of your life. Even seasoned investors run into problems every now and then. There are so many moving parts to a single real estate transaction that someone who is unfamiliar with the process may find it intimidating – if not daunting. Don’t worry; you are not alone.

Fortunately, you are not the first person to buy a home in today’s real estate market. In fact, people have been buying and selling real estate since long before any of us were even born. But why am I telling you this? Simple; there is no reason to fear buying your first home because there is already a blueprint provided for anyone willing to look at it. There is no reason for first-time homebuyers to reinvent the wheel, or in this case the buying process, when people have done it successfully forever.

Below you will find the first-time homebuyer’s timeline for a smooth real estate transaction. Follow the steps provided for the year leading up to a home’s purchase, and you will be rewarded accordingly.