 Okay, so about six months before you plan on buying a place, find your Realtor. The best way to do that is to ask family, friends, and coworkers who they worked with in the past. Chances are someone you know bought a house recently, and that personal referral is a great place to start. Now, one of the first things you'll talk about with your Realtor is getting a mortgage. And the best strategy is to get pre-approved for the mortgage before you start looking at homes.