How do I go about trying to buy my first house?

You should talk to a local realtor who deals with first time buyers and they will guide you as far as finding out if you even qualify for a mortgage. The only thing I worry about when you say you were interested in a house that is 20k, is do you realize where houses that cost that much are? LOL I am not so sure you would want to live there for 6 to 8 years much less a week! Usually, houses that cost that little either have a boatload of repairs that need to be done before you can even live in them as they might be condemned by the city, or they are in a high crime area. Both scenarios aren't really too good for a young woman. Your income would probably only allow you to get a 30 -40k mortgage. Do you have 3.5% to put down for an FHA loan? Do you have anything to put down or for closing costs? Most lenders now want 10 to 20% down. I am sure there are some grants or programs for first time buyers that may provide some down payment istance or lower it substantially, but you need to check with a realtor in the area you want to buy.