Where should I Look to Buy a Sacramento Home?

Good question.

First of all, I think first time homebuyers need to consider where they want to live. Is there a particular neighborhood that interests them? Do they have friends or family living in a certain area that they'd like to move closer to or (God forbid) away from? (Well, maybe just a pleasant drive away - like 30 minutes) The area you want to live in should take the most amount of your research.

Then, start browsing homes online for that area. You can go to www.sacramento-home.com for the most up to date search and also sign up for email alerts on new listings.

No, no call to the Realtors just yet. Do some math first. Look at your monthly budget and decide how much you can afford to pay in monthly payments toward your house. Once you are already in love with a house, it's difficult to get clarity, so do this step before you actually start shopping.

Once you have your total number in your head, then compare to see if the homes in your preferred neighborhood match the number in your head. This is when you call a Realtor. You might tell her "the magic number" and your preferred neighborhood and if the two don't match find a place a little farther away from your ideal place.

In other words, now you're seriously looking for a place. Oh, don't forget to get preapproved for a loan.

There you go, you've passed the first hurdle! Now for the fun part of finding a home!