By Lisa Scontras

You're not really into speculation, day trading, condo flipping or get-rich-quick schemes - you just want to buy a house, establish some roots and invest your hardearned money in a modest home instead of putting it into your landlord's pocket.

What's stopping you?

If you have a reasonable financial history and a steady job, you may be able to take advantage of some low-down-payment financing programs and land your first home once you see past some of the first-time homebuying myths.

Myth 1: You need to have a big down payment.
Not true. Today's financing options include a variety of programs - some requiring very little cash or none at all. In fact, seven out of 10 first-time home buyers make a down payment of 10 percent or less.

Myth 2: With the median price of homes on Oahu at $600,000, prices are too high, especially for first-timers.
Wrong again. Toan Doran, Realtor Associate with Prudential Locations LLC, reminds buyers that the "median price" means that half the homes are selling for more than $620,000 - and, more importantly, half are selling for less.

Myth 3: It's not a good time to buy.
On the contrary, according to experts who list several reasons that support why it's a great time to buy. "Interest rates are still at historic lows," says Doran. "Low rates equip buyers with greater buying potential."

Making an offer on a property a year ago may have meant competing with five other buyers in a bidding war - the winner agreeing to pay significantly more than the asking price. But that has changed.

Myth 4: The whole process of buying a home is complicated and intimidating.
Not when you have a good Realtor and a good loan officer working with you.

Doran encourages first-timers to start small.

"We all can't buy that dream home on our first purchase," he says. "But if you take baby steps of buying real estate now, eventually you will be able to parlay your equity into that dream home. But you have to take that first step."

If you're willing to start small - maybe a condo - and develop both a disciplined financial plan and a failure-is-not-anoption attitude, buying that first home may still be in your future.

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How to get homebuyers to look at your house

With the current slow housing market, homeowners who are desperate to sell are being forced to look for unusual and creative ways to compete for buyers' attention.

Today's Home Sellers are now, more frequently, using techniques like:

• Offering vacations, cars or other gifts to promote the sale of a home
• Hiring a "staging" company to strategically place fine furniture in the home, improving buyers' perception of the home
• Remodeling - including: removal of walls, updating kitchens and bathrooms
• Adding patios, garages, deck, etc.
• Spending more on professional photos of the home
• Putting belongings in storage to reduce clutter
• Using additional alternative ways to market the home (newspaper ads, online advertising, traditional media, etc.)
• Adding a 1-year warranty to the sale of the home

To sell a home faster and for more money, it's going to take extra work and creativity to compete with the amount of homes on the market.

See a List of 50 Ways To Sell Your Home Faster and For MoreMoney at www.listof50.com.

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Spruce up your home for sale

With inventory up and fewer buyers, home sellers want to know how to give their home a makeover without spending a lot of money.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the improvements that make the most difference are those requiring minimal time and expense. The small investment in sweat equity, can have a big influence on how quickly your property sells and at what price.

Megan Tune, Realtor at Prudential Locations LLC, says one of the most basic ways to show off your home's best assets is to make sure it is spotless. That means cleaning your house, trimming the lawn and creating the atmosphere that will give your home "sales appeal." Sparkling clean houses sell faster than those that look too lived in or show too much of the owner's personality.

"Cleaning is simple and it's free," says Tune, whose experience tells her that a large percentage of homeowners would rather not spend money fixing up their home before selling it. "There are several simple things that can be done that are cost effective yet can make a huge difference in terms of getting the highest price for your home."

Remember, buyers will be comparing your property to the others they see.

Tune outlines three key components to help yours stand out above the rest.

First on the list is curb appeal. The term is quite literally the impression a buyer gets from the car when they pull up.

"Buyers can make up their minds on whether they like a property or not within the first 30 seconds," Tune stresses.

"That's why first impressions are very important. So you want to make sure the outside of your house is looking the best it can be."

Next, de-personalize the house by removing family photos and collections.

Third, is to clean and declutter. In the kitchen, clear off the countertops and the refrigerator magnets. In the closets, ruthlessly thin out clothes and shoes. In the bathroom, put away toothbrushes and personal items. Everything around the house should be cleaned thoroughly. There is no bigger turnoff than a messy home. Along with vacuuming and mopping, consider ways of removing stains and odors from surfaces, floors, carpets and drapes.

HS