What would you put on a checklist for a first time home owner who has no knowledge regarding buying a home?

Have the home inspected by a licensed inspector. They will know what to look for and find the issues to determine if the home is still worth buying and, so you don't have to fix them after you buy the home. Money well spent.

Start with building a savings account that will become your down payment. I also suggest you do a little research into what is involved in getting and maintaining a mortgage and a home...what sort of bills. Find a bank you trust (or a credit union- I recommend Navy Federal as they are in all 50 states and work with VA loans all the time but there are others as well) and many of them have checklists you can use. There are also calculators that will tell you how much "house" you can afford based on your income and other bills. Learn the "language" What's an escrow account? What is it used for? Stuff like that.

SFC Jordan Surringer gave an excellent checklist. The others have added some important thoughts (never thought to target home hunting in the rain, but that is genius!).

The only thing I would add which hasn't been mentioned, is making a very good list of needs and wants - and prioritize the wants.

When I was home hunting, schools were my absolute highest priority. I researched schools FIRST. I found what school district I wanted to be in, then I gave my realtor a list of my wants, and told here I would only look at homes zoned for that school.

Figure out what you cannot do without FIRST, and do not budge on it. It may take more time, but this is a long-term investment; you want to get it right.

Put down no less than 20% down payment - PERIOD!!

Learn a little about home construction. When the home is inspected make sure you have a home inspector that will allow you to tag along. Ask questions if something doesn’t seem right. Take notes and photographs. I have found a lot of home inspectors to be worthless.

Google the address of the home you are looking at and research it’s history
You don’t want to be awakened at 5 am by a FBI Raid Looking for the Previous Owner, who is wanted on Federal Embezzlement Charges, That Could totally ruin your day
The Google Search Will Also give you Other information, Such as Death’s or Other Crime’s Associated with That Address , You Also Don’t Want Druggies knocking on your door Looking for a Fix

SGT (Join to see) In addition to the financial aspects, include the effort needed to maintain the property - lawn, trees, landscaping, etc. When you are considering a property, be certain the the slope of the land doesn't drain directly toward the house (sad experience we had), that trees are far enough from the building not to be a problem. The list goes on..It's a worthwhile challenge

The only time I look for a home is when its raining. That tells me if there are runoff issues. Of course living in the SouthWest thats a serious concern. There are parts of my city since we mostly live between a mountain range and a river thatc

It all depends on where you buy a house for example if it has well water check the toilet for sand in the tank means well running try, you also can hire. a private contractor inspector to check the house.

Don't buy the most for which home you can get a mortgage. The bank doesn't care if you live on rice and generic peanut butter, as long as they get paid.

Figure out what your mortgage payment will be. Try living on what's left over minus rent for a year. If the amount in your savings account isn't significantly bigger at the end of the year, you have no room for when unexpected expenses come up. Unexpected expenses ALWAYS come up.

What is you plan if you lose your job through no fault of your own? How much time will you be able to live on your savings until you get a new job? It doesn't matter what the economy is like now, is that a realistic time period to find a comparable paying job in a poor economy? Once you start paying day-to-day living expenses with credit cards, you are drowning whether you realize it or not.

Don't buy a house if you think you will get PCS orders in the next 5-10 years. All the expenses associated with selling a home will eat EVERY PENNY of equity and then some if you turnover the house in a short period.

If you are handy, buy a house that has good bones, but needs a little TLC. Sweat equity is a great thing. A foundation or a roof that needs work is NOT good bones.

Buy the worst house in a good neighborhood, NOT the best house in a bad neighborhood.

A little bit of a commute can cut the price considerably. We live 30 minutes in light traffic from anything resembling a large town (Malls, theaters, colleges, bar and restaurant districts, etc.) Our cost per sqft is less than 2/3rds of people in OK neighborhoods close to town.

Use a home inspector, but if your state doesn't have any professional liability insurance requirement for them, check them out with a fine-tooth comb. The references they give you mean nothing. Check with the better business bureau, vets at the local VFW hall, church contacts, etc. What does the community have to say about these home inspectors.

Figure out what your mortgage payment will be. Try living on what's left over minus rent for a year. If the amount in your savings account isn't significantly bigger at the end of the year, you have no room for when unexpected expenses come up. unexpected expenses ALWAYS come up.