An $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit and home prices dropping down to more affordable prices may make 2010 known as the “Year of the First-Time Home Buyer.

There will be 1.84 million homes sold to first-time home buyers in 2010, compared with 1.73 million in 2009.

These buyers will invariably make some mistakes that they will come to regret a few years down the road, some experts say, including failing to use a real estate professional to help them manage the transaction.

Realtors or Real Estate Professionals have the time and knowledge to sift through thousands of listings and separate the good from the bad. A Realtor has seen it all! Good deals, bad deals, houses that are prone to issues and houses that are well priced and in good shape. A Realtor can help you decide when you’ve found the right home and when you haven’t.

"I would want someone who is going to look out for my interests first and foremost," says Boss. "Someone who knows the contracts, who has experience negotiating, and who can walk me through the entire process smoothly — step by step — and make sure I get the house that's right for me. That is what we do here at Coccia Real Estate Group." Says Chris Coccia, Owner/Broker of Coccia Real Estate Group, LLC, East Hanover, NJ.