I'm not in your area but we bought a house not too long ago.
1. Home inspection is required before you can get a mortgage for the house
2. Get a reputable home inspector; they should have no qualms about you tagging along during. Mine explained everything to me in depth as we went. I also go a binder with pics, info, etc. We used HouseMasters.
3. Stay away from HOAs. Seriously.
4. If you find a house you like, visit it numerous times of the day; from 4am to 11pm. This allows you to scope the neighborhood and neighbors. Get up early and drive from the house to your work. Then back to the house when you get off
5. Do you want the nicest house in an OK neighborhood, or an OK house in the nicest neighborhood? This plays into re-sale. Plus, if you upgrade stuff in the house, you get more bang for your buck if you get an OK house in a nice neighborhood. Don't let this stop you from getting the house you really want, though.
6. Think carefully before getting into a house that needs repairs (foreclosed). These repairs can easily multiply in time and money. What you thought was just a leaky basement can mean a bad foundation; etc.
7. As stated above, find out what you want for your house. List your priorities on paper. I wish we had 2 bathrooms. It's annoying to only have one. But, we have a huge parking area.
8. Find your city's master planning document and see what kind of ideas/plans they have for your area. Would suck to buy a house, then 2 or 3 years later find out the city wants to build a parking garage for their city buses next door.
9. Along the same token, read through previous city council minutes and see what, if any, problems or ideas they have for your area.
10. Don't get preapproved for more than you are wanting to spend total on a house. This helps to limit temptation.
11. Remember that there will be all sorts of little fees and junk that will tucked into your mortgage after it's all said and done.
12. DON'T buy more than you can afford. I'm really relieved we didn't.
13. Visit the house you like (before you buy) during rain events/after rain events. You'd hate to have a flooded yard everytime it rains.
14. When looking at a house, try to be objective. Walk through it as if you already own it. Walk from bedroom to bathroom. Go from living room/den to kitchen and open the fridge. Think about where your furniture will be placed. Will your furniture block rooms, etc?
15. Look at all hardware/fixtures. Is it old school (brass) or has it been updated? Are the ceiling fans in good shape? Previous smoker? How much repainting will you have to do? Nasty carpet? Hardwood floors under carpet? (we pulled up our nasty carpet and are redoing the hardwood).
16. Do you want to live on a main/busy street or in dead end?
17. Enough parking for your vehicles and good space to work on them? Can you store them outside w/o getting fined? Does it have a garage, etc?
18. Proximity to stores. We live less than a block from Kroger and it's awesome being able to walk to the grocery store.
19. Neighbors with loud dogs. We have a ton and it sucks.
20. Do you want trees on your property? If so, take a good look at them. Are they healthy and pruned?
If not, you might get this.
21. Do you like yardwork and landscaping? Is it nasty and FUBAR?
Ours was jank when we moved in.
22. Can you get out if you get tons of snow?
23. Do you live in a floodplain or near a creek or drainage ditch. My fiances brother just got flooded with 4' of water in a flash flood from a small drainage ditch in his backyard.
HTH