Tip! Continually be in contact with all those in your hunting party. If gabbing does not interfere with the hunting strategy, continually talk to each other.

The home buying process can be an emotional roller coaster, especially if it’s your first time. It is, after all, one of the biggest financial moves you’ll ever make. So before you begin house hunting, make sure you have a good plan in place.

Here are five tips for success with first-time home buying:

Home Buying Tip #1 - Bring a Friend Along Do you have a friend or family member with strong opinions on everything? You know the one. Well, bring them along during your house hunting trips!

Tip! Carefully remove your firearm from its case. Do not load the weapon until you are actually hunting.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The home buying process stirs up a lot of different emotions — excitement, anxiety, joy, fear, frustration, exhilaration. And while these emotions are perfectly normal, they can cloud your judgment. That’s not something you want when making a big financial decision.

You can balance this out by bringing a friend or family member along on your house hunting trips. This gives you an objective ally who can help you identify the pros and cons of each house. Chances are, they’ll also be able to spot aspects of a house you might have missed otherwise.

Tip! Don’t run with your loaded firearm. There is seldom a need to run while hunting.

Home Buying Tip #2 - Take Pictures of Each Home Do you have a digital camera, or do you know somebody who does? If so, you have the ideal tool to help with the home buying process. Take pictures of every house you visit, and then categorize them in folders by house address. This will help you recall the details of each house later on (when the details tend to blur together).

The photos will also give you an opportunity to see each home more objectively, after your initial excitement has faded. Then you can more easily decide which houses you’d like to follow-up on.

Tip! You should have a case for your gun. Place the unloaded rifle or shotgun or handgun in its case when not hunting or target shooting.

Home Buying Tip #3 - Compare the House to Your Budget Have you heard the expression “house poor”? House poor is what happens when people spend too much money and take on more of a mortgage loan than they can comfortably afford. Think of it this way. If you have to work longer hours and scrape by each month just to afford a house … is it really worth it? Keep your finances in mind, no matter how beautiful a house may be.

Home Buying Tip #4 - Consider the Commute So you’ve found a home you like, and it’s well within your price range. The next thing to consider is the location. How far is the home from work? Does it have easy access to the major roadways you need? How long is your daily commute going to be?

It’s easy to be so enamored with a home that you forget about the drive time. But if you commute every day, drive time is a quality-of-life issue you can’t afford to dismiss. Try driving to or from the house during rush hour. That will give you a good idea of what you’ll face every day.

Tip! During the earlier part of hunting season, squirrels and rabbits are less aware of their predator’s presence. Also because leaves are still abundant during that time, squirrels and rabbits will not spot their hunters that easily.

Home Buying Tip #5 - Avoid Snap Decisions Buying a home will probably be the biggest financial decision of your life. So it deserves careful consideration each step of the way. Even in a hot market where homes sell quickly, you have to make wise decisions based on research. Remember, there will always be another house to come along. So even if you miss one due to your cautious approach, another home will be right around the corner.

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article online provided you keep the byline, author’s note, and active hyperlinks.

About the Author Brandon Cornett is the editor of HomeBuyingInstitute.com, the Internet’s largest library of home buying tips. Put this knowledge to use by visiting http://www.HomeBuyingInstitute.com.

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