Yesterday I sent an email to a borrower who I am working with to buy her first home. I was just keeping in touch with her since she is repairing her credit before shopping for her home. She sounded like most first-time home buyers in the respect that she falls in love with a listing of a home on the market but then gets frustrated because she is not ready to put offers in yet. She knows the home will slip through her fingers.

I always approach this subject with two very big objectives from the loan originator perspective of this situation. I try to explain to the the buyer that buying a home in this market can be quite an emotional roller coaster if they become attached to every home they walk through. This is such an exciting time and it is so easy to start to picture with certainty where your couch will go or what your first holiday will be like in a home. The problem is that until you have an accepted offer on a home these emotions have to be kept in check. This can be a long wait or a negotiation that will frustrate a buyer to no end if they are emotionally involved in the home purchase during this point in the transaction.

There are a few things to do to prepare for this in advance. The first is making sure that you are pre-approved for your home loan. Make sure that you are working with a great buyer's agent who will respect your time and energy you have involved in the home buying process. Prepare for the expectation of counter offers. This is the hardest part. If you are to emotional over a home it will lead to stress and possible bad decisions regarding counter offers.

Buying a home is a great time in your life and with the right people working with you it can be a very happy time. Just be sure to remember that even if one deal falls through on a home there is another great home at a great price right around the corner. It may be the home that was waiting for you to begin with.

Jennifer Uranga is a Senior Loan Originator with CNN Mortgage. She has been working in the mortgage industry for over 2 years and enjoys sharing experiences with customers that will keep them educated and on top of the market during these fast times.