Buying a house, particularly for the first-time, can be a little understood, complicated process. Hopefully, the first-timer will employ the services of a knowledgeable and seasoned real estate agent. The right agent can smooth the process, allowing the prospective owners to concentrate on finding just the right home, not worrying about the minutiae of home buying.

A timeline would really help to put the buying process in order. A recent article on the MSN site does just that — segregates the buying process into understandable divisions of time. The timeline starts from a year prior to the actual closing date. The first step is for the buyer to get a copy of their credit report.

click here for the entire timeline.