I learned about it on general non finance forums, following threads, asking questions, etc. Took me two years from when I started the process to finally buy a house. I learned a lot about it. It's actually a simple process, though it seemed like a lot at the time. Pre-approval from a lender (bank, CU, etc.), find real estate agent you can trust, make offer, get home inspector NOT referred by agent, and that's really it. Sign the mortgage papers, and you're done. I've gone through this enough times now I know what documentation the lender asks for and have it ready to go before I even put an offer on a house.