Buying your first home feels like walking through a minefield blindfolded while everyone around you holds the map and refuses to share it. Real estate agents smile and nod while steering you toward houses that pay them the biggest commission. Sellers hide problems behind fresh paint and staged furniture. Lenders push mortgage products that benefit their bottom line more than your monthly budget. The entire industry operates on information asymmetry, where knowledge equals power and money, and first-time buyers consistently end up on the losing side of that equation.