First time homebuyers

Owning a home is one of the greatest blessings that one can ever achieve in their life. It can also be a curse if you are not mentally prepared for it.
There is a common misconception that homes can be maintinence free. That is one of the biggest false ideas one can have. I am going to say this once and I want everyone to listen. ALL HOMES NEED TO BE MAINTAINED! (I hope I wasn't unclear about that.) Painting needs to be kept up with and bushes need to be trimmed and cut, the grass needs mowed and landscaping continually updated. If cracks in the concrete driveway are not sealed, eventually the water destroys the driveway causing even costlier repairs. Am I making myself clear? If you are not mentally prepared to own a home, then the home you buy will become a curse to you. There are some ways to make sure that this does not happen
Sit down and outline your goals. Ask yourself how long you intend to own this particular home. How long until you outgrow it, start a family, etc. If you do improvements on the property, understand that statistically, you will only get $.50 to $.80 of every dollar you spend back out of the property when you resell it. If you expect to get $150,000 out of a $75,000 property, you will be seriously disappointed.
Find a real estate agent that you are comfortable with. Next, prepare yourself with the proper mind set of owning a home. Thirdly, don't borrow more money than you are comfortable with, even if the bank will loan more, your friends say you can afford it, and your broke brother-in-law, tells you that you can beat the banking system, DON"T DO IT! No one has to pay the mortgage other than you.
Right now, first time home buyers are eligible for a tax credit of up to 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to $80,000. (Maximum credit is $8,000) This money is available from January 1st 2009 to December 1 2009. You can call or email me with more questions on this. Thanks everyone and have a great weekend.