Whether you want to buy 6 months, or 2 years from now - the sooner you start prepping, the more empowered you will feel. Before you buy your first home there are a few things you should do; start saving for your down payment, work on having and keeping above average credit & learning about the market conditions in your area to name a few.
1. Save for your down payment.
You should start your down payment savings goals with the minimum needed for your ideal loan program, which is typically 3-3.5%, plus an additional 1-2% for closing costs (things like your home inspection, appraisal, etc). Example, if you want to purchase a $400,000 home, you'll want to have about ~$12,000 saved for your down payment, and an additional $4,000-$8,000 saved for closing costs.
2. Work on increasing your credit score.
Your credit score is kind of like your financial GPA. Your score will come into play when it comes to your interest rate and PMI, so the higher you can get - and keep - your score, the better. The average credit score in the United States is 698, according to Equifax - so if you don't have perfect credit, don't beat yourself up. Most of my clients have spent anywhere from 6-8 months working on their credit before buying. Once you understand where your score is, you can work on improving it.
3. Research local market conditions.
Knowing what's going on in your local market will give you a better scope of what expectations to have. If you're in a hot market, it's important to know that so you don't get caught off guard by the competition or quick market time. Chat with your agent to get the details.
Most people don't decide to buy a house, and then get into contract the next day or even week - so take your time with the home buying process and don't forget that it is one of the largest investments you'll make, so treat it like such.