If you've never been through the process of purchasing a home, I'll let you know it can be a bit of a daunting or intimidating experience. Shopping around for houses can take up a lot of time. After that, you might have to put a bid on the house you like, which is a process that can also take a long time as you eagerly await a response.

If you're taking out a loan, that process can take 30-45 days to be completed. Once you're ready to actually sign your mortgage agreement, that process can take forever as you sign what feels like an endless amount of papers.

It can also be a bit intimidating as you realize you're about to spend more money on this property than you've likely ever spent on anything in your life. That was the case for me anyway when my fiance and I bought our first house last year. Stay with me...I promise there is light at the end of this tunnel!

Unsplash - Roselyn Tirado
Unsplash - Roselyn Tirado
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Once the dust has settled, the papers are all signed, and you've finally moved into your first home, there is a big moment of feeling like you accomplished something. It can take some people years and even decades to save enough money for a down payment on a home and once you've finally completed that task, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. It's hard to do!

If you are looking into purchasing your first home, I have some great news for you. Iowa is one of the best states in America for first-time home buyers.

Moneywise ranked all 50 states based on the median price for houses in each state, which was provided by Zillow. They also looked at the average down payment percentage of 13%, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Iowa is the 5th best state in America for first-time home buyers with an average down payment of $23,844.34. I've never understood the need for adding change to the end of an amount of money like that...better not forget to bring your change jar to the bank. Zillow also reports that the average home value in Iowa is $183,418.

Now, $23,844.34 is still a lot of money. I can probably count on 1 hand the number of people I know that just have that sitting in their bank accounts. I do want to let you know that for first-time home buyers, there are a lot of assistance programs in the state of Iowa. If you need help buying your first home, you might qualify for one of these programs at U.S. Department of House and Urban Development.

Iowa is well known for its way of living, beautiful countryside, charming small towns, the Hawkeyes, corn, hogs, and friendly people. If you've never purchased a home but would like to eventually become a homeowner, Iowa is a fantastic place for anyone to get started. Just wait until your furnace and AC go out in the first year of your big purchase. That's when the real fun starts. That's a story for a different day...

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