Buying a home for the first time can be exciting and frightening at the same time. However, a bit of research and a few simple organization steps can help make the process easier. For instance, when touring houses or conducting a property search, use a digital camera to document unique or unusual features in each home, taking a photo of the house number upon entering and leaving to categorize each group. Once a number of homes have been toured, use the photos, as well as other information to narrow the list down.

Many programs exist to help the process run even smoother, such as fha home loans, first time home buyers program, va home loans and down payment assistance programs. For those who are recovering from bankruptcy or foreclosures, the FHA program may be best. The program does not require a minimum credit score for down payment assistance programs, rather, considers the credibility of each borrower in context. Furthermore, the FHA requires a down payment of 3.5 percent of the purchase price of the home, which is a fraction of the percentage required for other loans.

For first time home buyers, contacting multiple home loan lenders will prove beneficial when figuring out what they can afford and what sort of programs are out there to assist them. Down payment assistance programs are available to those who may not have the money for the down payment, but still wish to buy a home.

Down payments are typically charged by percentage. For example, if a house is $100,000, and the down payment is 10 percent of the price of the home, the down payment would be $10,000. However, the monthly payment on the home loan would not be that much. Down payment assistance programs would be available to people who possess certain qualifications to require the assistance. Down payment assistance programs can be available to both first time buyers as well as those recovering from bankruptcy or foreclosure.