Pre Approval

The first thing you'll want to do is get a mortgage pre-approval from a bank or broker. The Pre-Approval will allow you to be able to make offers on homes with the knowledge that the bank will actually grant you the mortgage funding. You'll want to get this before making an offer because the process takes some time. Most sellers know this and won't accept an offer without a pre-approval as it's risky for them. Their house being off the market and pending while a buyer may or may not be approved for financing means they might miss other potentially qualified offers during that process. Once you are pre-approved, you can make offers much more confidently, and a home seller will be much more likely to accept your offer. The cost of working with a broker is nothing up front, they usually take their fee out of the mortgage funding, so you do pay for a broker, but not out of pocket. 

Working with a Realtor

Working exclusively with a Realtor during the home buying process is beneficial for a first time home buyer, and you're thinking "of course you'd say that, you're a Realtor!" But in all honesty, there are some really good reasons as to why. Some purchasers are experienced enough that they feel they don't need a Realtor's assistance, and that's fine. However, a Realtor is there to advocate for you in negotiation, help you on your home search, spot anything about the home you're interested in that might be amiss, and help you navigate the process and its legalities. The thing about using a Realtor for shopping for a home is that it's free. Buyers' agents get paid from the commission the seller is offering, so a buyer doesn't pay their Realtor anything, but gets to benefit from all their experience and assistance. 

Closing Costs and Lawyer Fees

At the end of your purchase, once you find a home you like, make an offer, that offer is accepted after conditions are waived, there are closing costs that will be your responsibility (the home seller also has closing costs to pay). For this you'll need a Real Estate Lawyer, and again, if you don't know of one, your Realtor can always make recommendations. The lawyer will handle all the legal documents that are required for both your mortgager, land title transfer, and finalizing purchase contracts. Depending on the lawyer you go with, that can be anywhere from $900-$2000.