BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Low interest rates and rising home values have spurred a buying bonanza in many markets, but many first-time buyers are reluctant to jump into the house hunting frenzy.

But the right real estate agent can help you pick the perfect house.

Before calling a real estate agent, Mark Pynes was like most first-time buyers.

"I knew nothing to start with," Pynes said. "There's just so much anticipation of 'Am I doing the right thing? Am I not doing the right thing?'"

But inside advice and secrets from the professionals can make house hunting easy.

"Most people do it a little backwards," real estate agent Jeffrey Klinner said. "Most people will get the itch and they'll drive around and look and feel out neighborhoods they think they like."

Klinner is leading Pynes through the process of shopping for a "real" home.

"Room size is good on this house. The house flows well, great for entertaining, lots of space," Klinner said, showing Pynes a home. "Notice, you've got a nice big fireplace here, raised hearth. This is all a luxury feature in a house this age."

Klinner said the best start to house hunting is finding the right price range, usually with a mortgage lender. That's how Pynes started his search.

"I worked some numbers, how much I spent on other things, created a budget to see what I could get away with," Pynes said.

Insiders said the second step comes before cruising your favorite neighborhood or checking the classifieds. Agent Cerita Tucker-Smith, of Barnes and Associates Realtors, works with homebuyers and tells customers to make a wish list.

"If you know exactly what's the most important thing to you, then you'll probably find that home a lot faster," Tucker-Smith said. "Three bedroom, two bathrooms, or could one and a half baths do? Would you want a finished room in the basement, or could a main level den be OK?"

With a price range and a wish list, Pynes said his next step was contacting a real estate agent. There is no cost to use one, but it's something many first-time homebuyers are reluctant to do. Insiders recommend finding an agent you know, maybe one used by a friend, or from an agency you trust.

"This person is helping and guiding you to make probably the largest decision of your life," Klinner said.

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