Catwoman,
Congratulation on this next phase of your life. Purchasing a home was, for me, one of those "I'm really an adult!" moments.
I second BFulton's recommendation to get a home inspection...whether the house is new or a resell.
Get the title insurance that the closing agent will recommend. In the grand scheme of things, it's relatively inexpensive. There are a couple of people in my subdivision that did not and now they are facing liens because of the previous homeowner or the builder.
To expand on Taykimson's idea about making the list. My hubby and I did our lists separately (without discussing with each other before hand) and divided it into 3 catagories...Must have, nice to have, definately don't want. Again, it helps you keep things in perspective.
If you are looking at resales, try not to get caught up in their decorating style, paint/wallpaper choices or other things that are easily changed. On the same note, be realistic about what cosmetic changes you are going to make immediately, like changing flooring, cabinets, etc.
Talk to the neighbors and see what they like/don't like about their house, the neighborhood. Also, I recommend going to the neighborhood at different times of the day/week. Go early one morning to see what the traffic patterns are like going to work, drive through on a Friday night around midnight to see if there are a lot of loud parties, go on a Saturday morning to see if Bay-Bay's kids live next door, etc. (you get the picture)
Looking at model homes (if you are going to build) can be a lot of fun (my husband & I still do it--for the decorating ideas), but make sure you know what is standard and what is an upgrade. Most model homes will have thousands of dollars worth of upgrades that make the house beautiful. As you start adding the upgrades though, it may take the price out your range.
Make sure you ask if the neighborhood has restrictive covenants, and if so, what they are. Get a copy before you sign a contract. Some covenants can be kind of silly (i.e. no satalite dishes without approval, can't leave your garage door open, the kind of mulch you can use in your flower beds etc.) but most are there to perserve your property values.
Make sure your realator finds out what similar houses have sold for in that area/neighborhood recently. It will help you with your offer.
Remember that everything is negotiable (sp?) and don't be afraid to ask the seller for anything (pay your closing costs, repaint rooms, leave the refridgerator/drapes, etc.). All they can do is say no.
DO NOT close until all of your conditions have been met. There are a lot of unscrupulous (sp?) builders out there who will say we will fix the hole in the wall, rip in the linolium, leak, etc. after the fact, and you never see them again.
Sorry it got so long.....I know there are more but that's all I can think of right now.
Like someone else, said...have fun!!
Oh yeah...when you get to the closing table:
1. Don't forget the downpayment check (I did! DUH!!)
and
2. DO NOT look at that final number of how much you will have paid after 30 years. It will just depress you and make think about the kind of house you could have purchased if you could pay cash!!
