With the blogathon winding down, here’s one last way you may be able to find your first home.

• Buy land, add house. So you’ve been to the open houses, scoured the MLS, and talked to your Realtor more than your spouse in recent months, but you still haven’t found that right place yet. You can always make sure you’re getting the home of your dreams by purchasing your own lot of land and then hiring a builder to construct your home to fit your tastes. Of course, most first-time homebuyers can’t quite afford this option, so a similar alternative would be to locate some new construction already underway and become the property’s first owner.

Please feel free to share any tips you may have for folks looking for their first home right here.