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The typical American spends more time thinking about buying a car than buying a house. Even though the house they buy might wind up costing several times as much as the car.

Why is that? While buying a home has long been part of the American Dream, it’s a daunting task – especially for first-time home buyers  Many would-be buyers, overwhelmed by the process and the current state of the market, give up and decide to rent.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The fact is, today’s housing market is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for first-time buyers. Interest rates are at near-record lows, homes are more affordable than they have been in years and there are plenty of homes for sale (with more on the way, thanks to the foreclosure crisis). Buyers are more likely to truly find the home of their dreams than they were in years past.

Based on the questions I’ve received over the years, I’ve compiled a list of 6 tips every first-time home buyer should take. Keep these tips in mind as you begin the search for your perfect home, and I’m sure your experience will be far easier.

Tip #1: What’s the budget? This is the question my husband asked me when we were shopping for our first home. It seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many buyers don’t start by figuring out how much money they have to spend on their house purchase. It’s easy to show up at open houses and fall in love, but why waste time looking at homes that are out of your price range? The last thing you want is to find your dream home and realize it’s way over your budget.

Banks will tell you that you can spend up to 28 percent of your gross monthly income (GMI) on your mortgage, taxes and homeowners’ insurance premium, and up to 36 percent on your total debt. If you take out an FHA loan, you can go even higher – to 42 percent of your GMI.
The problem is 42 percent of your GMI will feel like nearly 60 percent of your take home pay, or more if you are contributing to a 401(k) at work. Remember this: Just because someone will lend you more money doesn’t mean you should borrow it.

To calculate a housing budget you can live with, start by figuring out how much you spend each month. Track your daily expenses in a notebook over the course of four weeks to get a real sense of how much is going out and where you’re spending most of your available cash. Watch your savings and calculate how long it will take you to come up with a down payment.

Before you commit to a mortgage amount, be sure to take the true cost of making those monthly principal, interest, taxes and insurance payments each month and apply them to your take-home pay. Don’t worry about mortgage deductions or the after-tax consequences – just look at the numbers and think about what else you spend each month and try to understand if you’ll feel comfortable. Because if you can’t sleep at night worrying about paying the mortgage or fixing your broken water heater, you’re spending too much.

Tip #2: Come up with a realistic wish-list. The key here is ‘realistic.’ Based on the housing budget you figured out, and where you want to live, compile a list of what you’d like to have in your first home.

Research is helpful when putting together your list. Check out some homes in your price range online to get a feel for what your money will buy, and make your wish list based on the home you see. If you’d love a fully renovated kitchen but none of the listings in your price range have one, be prepared to compromise. You can always upgrade later, but you really shouldn’t spend more than you can afford just for nicer finishes.

Tip #3: Get pre-approved for a mortgage. In this market, many deals contingent on financing fall apart because buyers can’t find a bank to give them a mortgage. Getting pre-approved for your mortgage will help you avoid this problem. Start by shopping around for a lender. You should speak to at least three or four different types of lenders including big national banks, mortgage brokers, regional banks, local lenders and possibly a credit union.

Once you’ve compared a few loans from different types of lenders side-by-side and decided on the right one for you, it’s time to get pre-approved. Some lenders will charge for pre-approval, so be sure to ask about those costs up front. You’ll need to provide the lender with details of your credit, income and assets to start the process. The bank will verify everything and issue a letter that tells you, and sellers, how much the bank is willing to lend you.

Typically, pre-approvals are good for 60 to 90 days. If you don’t find a home within that period of time, you may need to re-qualify with your lender.

Tip #4: Find a good home inspector. A knowledgeable home inspector is just as important as a great real estate agent. Getting a home inspection can save you thousands of dollars in the long run, but it has to be thorough. Ask friends and co-workers for referrals, or find out if your real estate agent has anyone they would recommend.

Once you’ve gotten a few names, interview potential candidates. Don’t be afraid to ask questions: find out what their process is for inspecting a home, how long it usually takes, what their expertise is and what kind of information and paperwork you will receive after the inspection. If there’s anything special about the property you’re interested in – for example, a septic or propane tank – be sure the home inspector knows what to look for. Finally, be sure to follow up on any red flags in the home inspection report by hiring experts to come in and take a closer look at a possibly radon issue or evidence of a pest infestation.

Tip #5: Understand the true costs of home ownership. Many first-time home buyers get so caught up in the idea of owning a home that they forget about life after closing. The real costs begin after you move into the house. In addition to mortgage payments, you’ll owe taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association (HOA) fees, and be responsible for any maintenance issues that come up while you own the home.

These costs are all the more reason not to spend every last dime on your mortgage payment. If you have nothing left after paying your mortgage, you’ll be unable to pay all the other fees or save for unexpected expenses.

Tip #6: You may love the home, but get to know the neighborhood before you make an offer. talk to the neighbors to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to live there. Bad neighbors can affect your property’s value, but good neighbors can be an invaluable resource to first-time home buyers.

If you think you’ve found the neighborhood you want to buy in, take it a step further. Drive from your potential new home to your office during rush hour to see what the commute is like, and to places you’d go on a regular basis like the grocery store, gym and gas station.

There’s a lot to think about when buying your first home, but remembering these tips should help you navigate the process and avoid potential minefields. Take your time, do your research and don’t let anyone pressure you into buying a home you’re not completely sure of. In this market you’ll be there a while, so make sure it’s somewhere you want to live for the long-term.

“I will save money on monthly expenses.”

“I will not eat ice cream.”

“I will do yoga.”

What do these sentences have in common? That’s right – they’re all New Year’s resolutions that have little chance at being fulfilled.

Hold on – “I will save money on monthly expenses” actually has a chance, thanks to the many ways you could save on everything from your mortgage payments to your cable bill.

In fact, you might be surprised at how much you could save. So eat the ice cream, forget the yoga, but read on to see how you might be able to finally fulfill that New Year’s resolution of saving money.

COST CUTTER #1: REFINANCE YOUR MORTGAGE

We’re guessing that if you’re like most homeowners, your biggest monthly expense is your mortgage payment. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could reduce it by tens, or even hundreds of dollars?

But how is that possible, you ask? The answer lies in the low interest rates, which can be as low as 3.34 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. This rate is as of December 6, 2012, according to government lender, Freddie Mac.

And even if you bought your home as recently as 2008 or 2011, refinancing to that rate could make a significant difference. And yes, we know what’s in your head right now: “How much could I save?”

So let’s look at an example of two homeowners. Homeowner A, who bought their home in January 2008, and Homeowner B, who bought their home in January 2011. Both have 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. ‘We’ll also use the historical interest rate data for January 2008 and January 2011 from the Federal Reserve, which oversees national monetary policy. Just keep in mind that everybody’s situation is unique, so your savings may vary. Ready?

Savings: By refinancing, Homeowner A saved $432 per month and $155,570 over the life of the mortgage. And Homeowner B didn’t do so badly either, saving $246 per month and $88,656 over the life of their loan.*

COST CUTTER #2: BUNDLE YOUR CABLE, INTERNET, AND PHONE

Everyone knows buying in bulk saves money. So why are you still getting your home digital services, namely cable, Internet, and home phone, from separate companies? That could be causing you to lose money every month.

In fact, bundling two or three of those digital services could save you a significant amount, says Consumer Reports senior editor, Jeff Blyskal. “Depending on the competition in your area, we found that it could save you 40 or even 60 percent,” he says.

And he adds that the low rate is usually locked in for anywhere from six months to two years. Then your rate might go up.

However – and this is a big however – that doesn’t mean you have to sit there and take the rate hike. In fact, Blyskal strongly suggests you do exactly the opposite. He says cable companies are being hit hard by the same economic challenges that likely led you to look for savings – so they’ll do a lot to keep customers.

For instance, the results from the Annual Telecom Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports Research Center in April 2011 revealed some promising potential savings for customers. Out of the surveyed Consumer Reports readers who said they bundled services, one-third said they negotiated for a better price or package before signing up. Of that one-third, more than 90 percent were successful.

So just how big can the savings be? For more than 40 percent of hagglers, the reward was a discount of up to $50 a month – not too shabby.

The bottom line, he says, is that bundling and bargaining is in the consumer’s favor.

COST CUTTER #3: RE-SHOP HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE

If you own a home, you likely have homeowners insurance to protect you against loss from natural disasters, fire, theft, and vandalism.

But if you thought all policies were the same, here’s some good news: shopping around can often make a big difference in your homeowners insurance premium, says Loretta Worters, vice president of communications for the Insurance Information Institute (III).

In fact, “Prices vary from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Get at least three price quotes,” notes a home insurance article published by the III. However, III warns that you don’t want to simply go with the lowest price either.

“Don’t shop price alone. You want a company that answers your questions and handles claims fairly and efficiently,” notes III. “Ask friends and relatives for their recommendations.”

On top of shopping around, another way to save is to “buy your homeowners and auto insurance from the same insurer, says Worters. “Some insurance companies will reduce your premium by five to 15 percent if you buy two or more insurance policies from them,” she says.

COST CUTTER #4: MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER

Have you been thinking about installing an alarm system, putting on a new roof, or investing in storm shutters for your home? If that’s a yes, in addition to making your home safer, these updates could also save you money on your homeowners insurance.

Just how much can you save? According to Worters, typically, you can get discounts of at least five percent for installing things such as a burglar alarm, smoke detectors, and dead-bolt locks.

“In addition, some companies may cut your premiums by as much as 15 or 20 percent if you install a sophisticated sprinkler system and a fire and burglar alarm that rings at the police, fire, or other monitoring stations,” says Worters.

Finally, she says, “Adding storm shutters and shatter-proof glass, reinforcing your roof, or buying stronger roofing materials can all help make your home not only safer, but insurance more affordable.”

But before you start making these additions, she advises checking with your insurance company about discounts first, since all alarm systems and other upgrades don’t qualify with all companies.

COST CUTTER #5: MAKE YOUR HOME GREENER

No, we’re not talking about donning overalls and painting your home the color of moss. We’re thinking more environmentally, as in doing things such as installing low-flow toilets or a programmable thermostat for your heating and air-conditioner.

“Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They go on to say that “switching to high-efficiency toilets can save a family of four, on average, $2,000 in water bills over the lifetime of the toilets.”

And besides the toilet, another thing that can add up to savings and a more comfortable home is installing an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat, says the EPA. These thermostats allow you to program your heating and cooling system to specific settings for six or more times during the day, notes the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.

How much you save can vary, but, as an example, the U.S. Department of Energy says that you can expect to save 5 to 15 percent per year by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day. That might merely mean using an extra blanket at night. So maybe it’s time to snuggle up and save.

If buying a home is on your New Year’s Resolution list for 2013, know this: your biggest challenge will almost certainly be coming up with your down payment and closing costs.

Whether you’re trying to scrape by with 3.5 percent for an FHA loan or you’re planning to put down a full 20 percent, saving for a down payment might be the largest savings endeavor you ever undertake, after retirement planning.

But don’t let that daunt you. Look at it as more of a challenge or a game than a slow-slogging deprivation-driven chore. In fact, I suggest that you add something to your scrounging and saving: scavenging. Finding your down payment money hidden in resources that are right in front of you can be a fruitful and fun angle to take on an otherwise overwhelming goal.

Use this short list of oft-untapped down payment treasure troves to open your eyes to funds that might be hidden in plain sight:

1.  Your budget’s biggest line items. I like to get maximum bang for my buck. And I like to enjoy my life, too, so depriving myself of little luxuries without getting much mileage toward my goal is definitely low on my savings strategies list. But I’ve often found that if you take your top 10 or so monthly expenses, there are almost always at least one or two that you could slash significantly or totally do without, push come to shove: all without feeling as deprived as you would if you cut your daily coffee.

Home buying is one of those push-meet-shove-type situations. If you’re serious about coming up with your down payment funds, sit down during your holiday off-days, and backtrack over your monthly budget (if you have one) or your last month’s checking account statements. Isolate your top 10 budgetary line items and do an internal gut check on whether there is anything on this list that you can slash or eliminate.

If this seems obvious or silly to you, don’t scoff before you give it a chance. I have seen buyers do this exercise and decide to:

• move home or to a cheaper place to eliminate rent
• go from two cars to one to eliminate a car payment
• cancel cable or switch cell phone service providers to get rid of a hundred bucks or more every month,

pressing fast-forward on their down payment savings and home buying plans by many months, even years.

2.  Your bad habits. Have you heard yourself say – out loud or internally – I’ve got to stop:

• smoking
• drinking so much
• eating out so much
• eating so much junk
• watching so much TV
• drinking so many sugary coffee drinks
• impulse shopping
• OSUI:  Online Shopping Under the Influence (it’s a real thing – I promise!)

– or anything in that vein? Well, each of these are bad habits that cost. And because they are  often engaged in compulsively, they can cost much, much more over time than you have any idea you’re actually spending.

Again, far be it from me to suggest that someone who works hard every day shouldn’t treat themselves to a coffee or lunch here or there. The fact is, if you deprive yourself too severely, there’s a good chance your efforts to cut back and save will be very short-lived, and possibly even backlash into binging behavior.  But if there’s a habit you’ve been wanting to change for health or other reasons that also costs you a pretty penny, you might find it easier to make those changes when you know you’re doing it in service of your vision of owning a home.

So, make a project of it. Figure out roughly what you’re spending on your bad habit, and set up an automatic saving transfer from your checking account into your down payment savings account. Then, get and leverage some habit-changing resources, like those at ChangeAnything.com or in one of my favorite books this year, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Then, when you feel the compulsion to engage in your bad habit, come to Trulia instead and peruse new listings in the price range and neighborhood of your own target dream home – that will help you stay on track by staying mindful of what’s really important.

3.  Your stuff.  When you need to save money, there are really only two levers you can pull: you can spend less, or you can make more. Selling stuff you have and don’t use or need is a relatively painless way to make more money to go toward your down payment.  If you’re really serious about home buying, put everything on the table.

I’ve known buyers-to-be who sold any and everything, including:

• cars and motorcycles
• clothes, costumes, shoes and handbags
• hobby-related gear (bikes, tools and even costumes)
• furniture and antiques
• and electronics, CDs and even books (think: TVs, computers, old smart phones, etc.)

to fund their down payment and home buying-related debt elimination plans.

Don’t underestimate the amount of cash you can bring in from the stuff you already own. Millions of home owners worldwide are now renting out rooms or floors of their current homes for short periods of time on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Sites like Getaround and Zimride allow you to rent out the extra seats in your car – or the whole vehicle, if you’re not too faint of heart!

4.  Your skills and time.  One way to make more money, as discussed above, is to liquidate the things you have lying around. Another way is to get to work! Spend your off-time, your evenings and weekends leveraging your professional skills or personal hobbies to bring in some extra cash. A friend of mine recently had a savings target she was trying to reach and actually sent her whole circle of friends an email detailing (a) what she was selling and (b) what sorts of projects she was willing to do to get there – she earned well into the four figures, in less than a month.

Maybe you can sew or knit stuff to sell on Etsy, grow things in your backyard to sell at the farmer’s market or, like one enterprising Mom I know, use your baking and cake decorating skills to monetize your kids’ classmates’ birthday parties. Or maybe you’re more interested in cooking, house cleaning, babysitting or dog walking – in fact, another acquaintance of mine has earned thousands of “extra” dollars dog sitting while she works at home. If that sort of thing is not up your alley, think about whether you can help people you know with their small business projects, like research, bookkeeping or office organizing projects.

Once you get serious about coming up with your down payment cash and decide to be creative about where to find that money, using your skills and your time creatively is a power-packed way to open the financial floodgates. Consider starting out with a simple email to your circle of acquaintances or by listing your services on a site like TaskRabbit.

5.  Your loved ones.  Some folks are fortunate enough to have cash-flush loved ones who would love nothing more than to help you have a home of your own. The best case scenario is to have some idea of what sort of gift money you can count on as far in advance as possible, as it will impact your own savings targets and your lender’s documentation requirements. If you have a parent, sibling or auntie who has mentioned their interest in giving you this sort of gift, it’s not bizarre to bring the subject up, express your gratitude and let them know that you’re planning to buy in 2013 so you can have a detailed conversation about logistics – including their financial, tax or estate planning pros, if it makes sense.

Alternatively, if your home buying plans are timed alongside your wedding plans, graduation plans or new baby due date, consider opening a down payment registry, so well-wishers can funnel their gift funds right into your real estate savings. For example, the federal Dpeartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allows small gifts to be combined in a single savings account and eliminates otherwise onerous gift money documentation requirements with the FHA Bridal Registry program, which is available around weddings and “other legitimate occasions where substantial gifts are typically received by an individual or individuals.”

Touch base with your lender and agent to see whether there are any registry programs that might make sense for your situation.

Finally, buyers who decide to team up with their BFFs, siblings, parents or other loved ones to buy a place they can jointly own and/or live in might be able to structure things so that they have to come up with less down payment money than they would otherwise – the co-buyer comes up with the rest!  Think about whether this sort of arrangement might help you and your loved one accomplish your respective financial and real estate goals, in one fell swoop.

6.  Your employer. Believe it or not, some employers actually offer down payment and other forms of mortgage assistance to employees. In particular, universities and governmental agencies that employ first responders who are required to live locally for their jobs (e.g., police, fire and other emergency personnel) often have housing assistance programs that can include down payment funds or access to mortgage programs with lower down payment requirements.

Even if you don’t work for one of these sorts of agencies, if you are relocating for work, touch base with your HR department to find out whether there are any relocation benefits that can help you make up the difference between the cash you have and the down payment you need to make your move.

7.  Your city, county or state.  What you’ve heard is true: there are few, if any, down payment assistance programs still available on a national level. But many states, counties and cities offer their own down payment assistance programs, which are generally available to folks falling into one or more of the following categories:

• first-time buyers (people who haven’t owned a home in the area in the last 3 years)
• buyers in low- or moderate-income brackets
• or those buying homes in a particular part of town.

Your mortgage pro and real estate agent should be able to help you track down any such local programs applicable to you. In fact, this is one great reason to touch base with them at the beginning of your down payment savings adventure versus waiting until the end. But make sure you read up on the programs extensively before you decide to opt into one. Many of them run out of cash over the course of the year, so shouldn’t be counted on; others may require you to repay any assistance received if and when you sell or move – things you should keep in mind at the outset.

After years of dead open houses, price reduction after price reduction and failed attempts to sell homes, many real estate markets are picking up. This could be welcome news to someone who has been forced to have kids share a bedroom, suffer through a long commute or any number of reasons why folks would want to sell their home. Even though sales activity is up, sellers still must be ready to do what it takes to get their home sold. It’s still not the good old days. Buyers continue to be cautious and don’t want to make a bad decision. It’s more important than ever to do what it takes to work with potential buyers and prepare as best you can to get your home sold.

Here are five mistakes that serious sellers must avoid when going on the market today.

1. Not taking your first buyer seriously.

Ninety percent of the time, your first buyer is your best buyer. Real estate agents everywhere will tell you that they have seen this happen time and again. Generally speaking, the potential buyer who makes the first offer is highly motivated and ready to do business. The first offer might be lower than you’d like, but that’s what negotiations are for.

You can hold off in hopes of better offers, but many times properties sit on the market too longgrowing “stale” because the seller didn’t work with the first buyer. Three months later, the seller ends up taking 5 percent less than the first offer they received. By this time, that first buyer has already bought and moved on. The seller is kicking themselves for not making it work.

2. Offering buyers credits for work you’d rather not do.

Do your back steps have dry rot? Do you know of a leaky faucet and a few windows that won’t open or close properly? Does the HVAC system act up sometimes? Then invest the time and money needed to make your home as problem-free as possible before you put it on the market.

Buyers are busy, too. They don’t want to deal with repair or maintenance work after they close. What they will do is call out these faults, either with a low offer price or in asking for credits after their property inspection.

Instead of offering credits against the purchase price, invest some money up front and get the work done yourself. Your home will sell faster. And most likely, you’ll get your money back and then some, in the form of a higher price. A $500 visit from the plumber or electrician, before going on the market, could save $5,000 in a lower offer or requests for credits down the road.

3. Making highly personal changes to your Loft.

Recently, a seller of a new construction home in Los Angeles was adamant about adding a shiny sealant to his concrete garage floor. Why? Because, for some reason, he’d always wanted a clean garage floor and assumed a new buyer would as well. And yet, he was about to put his house on the market. His real estate agent advised him to skip the shiny sealant because the time and money would be better spent on small kitchen or bath improvements.

So, think carefully about any home project before selling. If you need to make choices on colors or styles, go with something neutral. If you’re not sure, ask your agent for a designer or stager referral. Remember, most buyers expect to add their own touch to the home once they close. Don’t try to do it for them.

4. Overpricing your Loft.

When you price your home too high, you’re not fooling anyone. Informed buyers know the comps in your neighborhood. And if they don’t, you can bet their agent does. If your asking price is too high, your home could sit on the market longer. The longer it sits, the staler it becomes to the marketplace. You may end up having to reduce the price — sometimes more than once. As agents or buyers flip through listings, they may simply ignore yours because the “days on market” is so high. They’ll assume something must be wrong with it and move on to the next listing. If you price your home just right from the beginning, the odds are in your favor that the final sale price will be higher than if you’d priced it too high and reduced it a few times. Plus, you’ll have saved yourself months and months of carrying costs, including mortgage payments and property taxes.

5. Making your Loft difficult to show.

With the market picking up, buyers and their agents are shopping online all the time. If your home is priced right and shows well, chances are you could get showing requests within hours of listing the home with your agent.

A serious seller must make the home easy to show to potential buyers. This means agreeing to broker tours or caravans up front and a few open houses right out of the gates. You should plan on having the home ready to show within 24 hours. Turning away prospective buyers or making it difficult to show sends a negative message — that you’re not motivated or serious about selling. If you have young children or pets or you work from home, plan showing times with your real estate agent up front. If you know you’re away on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, let your agent know, and they can work around those times.

Markets change, and buyers and sellers need to adapt to these changes. If you’ve been on the sidelines waiting for the right time to sell, this could be your chance at getting that number you needed. But it’s not as easy as just putting your house on the market. If you’re serious about selling, be wary of these mistakes. Hire a good real estate agent and make sure you put your best foot forward.