The first lesson in searching for a house, big or tiny, would be to
not start until you have your down payment saved up and you are
pre-approved for a house loan.
Trust me on this. I keep breaking my heart by looking at homes,
falling in love and then looking at my budget and down payment
account. I know that I still need to wait at least 3-4 years before I
can buy a house, but my heart refuses to understand this.
Be aware that you will have your heart broken many times during your
search for the perfect house. Be it by funds, location, being out bid
or a slew of other possible things.
Just remember that it is not the end of the world and you will find
your dream home. It might take more work to find it to buy or to find
it in the house you do buy. But it is there.
So... Did I mention that I fell in love with a house? Did I also
mention that it is painfully affordable yet also painfully out of
reach? I seem to do this to myself about once a month and I will keep
doing this to myself because one day I will be buying the house that I
fall in love with last.
