Purchasing a home is a major milestone that tops many people's lifetime to-do lists — and maybe their list of financial fears too.Because while house hunting for the first time can be exciting, tales of regretful home-buying mistakes and the not-so-distant housing market meltdown have also given it a bad rap for being a stressful and confusing process.But it certainly doesn't have to be.That's why we created this handy nine-step checklist, which helps explain how to prepare to buy a house — and help safeguard your finances in the process.1.