First-time buyers need flexible down payment options, generous grants and excellent customer service. CNBC Select has chosen ...

Andrea Riquier is a former Staff Writer at Forbes Advisor. She is a New York-based writer covering mortgages and the housing market. She was previously at Dow Jones MarketWatch, on the housing market ...

First-time homebuyers are typically defined as those entering the market who’ve never owned a home. However, anyone who has not owned a home for the last three years also qualifies as a first-timer.

Many first-time homebuyers might presume they're better off going used rather than new—in other words, purchasing a pre-existing property rather than pricey new construction. While it's true that ...