If you talk to a bond broker, you need TIPS.  

Thanks for the tip. 

And finally, any tips, tricks, opinions, or any comments about this would be incredibly appreciated. 

Great first step to learning and investing.Consider developing your profile a bit, it helps other get to know you.Other tips, I highly recommend BP's Ultimate Beginner's Guide, it helps to form a general foundation in the industry.

I was hoping to get some advice from the experience veterans on here about tips on buying a first home, things to look out for, some hidden costs or expenses that I wont see until its too late, anything along those lines!

Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged.http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere http://www.biggerpockets.com/ubg http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Setting up Keyword Alerts How to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets 25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessREI can be very daunting, but, before you go searching for that 1st buy, please take a few minutes to bone up on the tips in link below.http://www.realestate.com/advice/buying-your-first-investment-property/ However, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

First, the condo is a little 'grimey' and would need a paint job, carpet, and a cleaning (not in that order).

any tips, i mean should we always lock the front door behind us during showings, even 'open' houses?

I've been a remodeling/painting contractor for over 25 years, so if anyone has a DIY question, I'll try to answer it for you.

The project scope included: Upstairs, a gut remodel of the kitchen, including adding a dishwasher, and opening up a wall to make an open living room/kitchen, updating the bathroom, adding a washer/dryer hook-up, and new paint/carpet.