Finding and buying a home sooo overwhelming

Hey ladies.. its my first post.. im new here
I grew up on LI and now live in north jersey. me and my hubby to be (april he will be hubby)... are looking to buy a house.. its so disheartening.. how did you all get through it? Im so confused don't even know where to start...
he has great credit and a nice size downpayment, mine is fair and i have no $ for downpayment ... we are living in north jersey now ..looking to relocate to south jersey ...
How do you begin? Im so happy I found this board im here 27 looking into it stunned at the complexity of it all...
can someone guide me? any specific house buying sites to look at? anything i need to know that surpised you in the process?

Thanks so much in advance for your advise ladies

Re: Finding and buying a home sooo overwhelming

Have you narrowed it down to a particular area? If you can pick a couple of towns of interest, go and drive around - start to get familiar with the sections of the town that appeal to you. Research the school districts, commutes, proximity to shopping, restaurants etc.

Once you have it narrowed down try sites like www.realtor.com, www.foxtons.com, www.njmls.com (I think that is the mls for nj)....

If you can find a realtor you are comfortable with, start going to see the houses. Realtors can be a good source of information particularly if they live near the towns they are showing you houses in.

Also - figure out what you can afford. Do a budget and find a mortgage calculator online..... That way, you dont get your heart set on something out of your price range.

Just take it step by step. it can be a frustrating process and overwhelming at times, but it is SOOOO worth it!

Good Luck.

Re: Finding and buying a home sooo overwhelming

Buying a home is really frustrating. Write down a list of what is important to the both of you in a home - whether it be a basement, a garage, a big yard - and then take it from there.

I would tell you to always follow your gut because it's usually right.

Good luck and have fun with it. If you are in no rush to move then you can take your time and look for the home of your dreams.

These girls on here will be an amazing resource as well, and they are all so helpful - so if you have any questions - ask away!

Re: Finding and buying a home sooo overwhelming

Thank you for all that information
I will start looking at those sites... we have narrowed down to a few areas (brother in laws live down there in the ideal town and we are interesting in that one town particularly and a few surrounding it)... Im there every other weekend staring at for sale signs wishing they were our house!

Thanks again