Need some guidance

[Flabia Alonso Trujillo]

Hi everyone! 

            I have never posted in here and it makes me nervous, but I need some guidance. My sister and I, have wanted to buy a multi-family property for the past couple of months. However, we have been stuck because we thought that we needed at least $20,000.00 for a downpayment and we have this money in the stock market, taking it out will incur a loss. 

          However, one of my friends is in the process of buying her first home and she got help from the city, which meant that she didn't have to put any money down and it also covered closing costs. This was due to being a first time home buyer, which we are as well. 

      My questions are, will this work for a duplex too and how do I even start the process to know whether we could get the same help. I am scared of wasting a realtor time and haven't contacted one yet, should I start by that? 

Thank you so much. I really appreciate any guidance that I can get. :)

[Brian Halstead]

@Flabia Alonso Trujillo, I would start with a real estate agent first, who will hook you up with a good lender, who will in turn give you some options. You can buy as a first time home buyer, even if you are buying a duplex. Some cities do have down payment assistance, but a knowledgeable agent or loan person usually are the only ones to know about that. I have some friends who sell real estate in Tampa, but I am not sure BiggerPockets would want me to give their name when they have a list of agents on this site. Good luck.  You are on the right track to building wealth through real estate!