As a first time buyer, you're likely to have many questions about selecting, financing and buying your first home. How do we start looking for a home? How much money will we require to purchase the home? How much will the mortgage payments be each month and can we afford it? How does the home buying process work and what can we expect along the way? These are just a few of the questions you're bound to have at the beginning of your exciting journey to buying your very first home!

Mortgage lending is a highly competitive field. Information on mortgage rates, which can change daily, is available in local newspapers, through mortgage brokers, from individual lenders and of course through conventional financial institutions.

There are many costs that homebuyers incur, especially upon purchasing your first home that you should expect to pay. Some of the expenses related to buying a home are one-time costs, while others are continuing costs.

Your largest cost at the beginning is your down payment. As a first time buyer, this would likely represent only 5 - 10% of the purchase price.

When you have found a home you are interested in buying, your Land Home Title Agent will walk you through the process of drafting an offer to purchase. Your sales associate will communicate the offer to the seller or the seller's real estate agent for you. Some properties are in demand and you will not be the only interested party making an offer. Your Land Home Title Agent will assist you in generating an offer that is reasonable and protects your interests using specified terms and conditions.

The seller may accept your initial offer, reject your offer or present a counter-offer. The counter-offer may differ from your original offer in respect to price, conditions, the closing date or any other items. Offers can be countered back and forth between the parties until one of you accepts or rejects, ending the negotiations.

A home inspection is an objective visual examination of a home's structure and systems.

Why get a home inspection?