Hello everyone, I've been very busy the last few weeks and have been away, I'm almost back in the 700 range, my lowest score is now 683 
On to this, I know quite a lot about credit, my friends look at me for advice but when it comes to mortages I am complety lost, like undescribly lost.
Could I get pointed to some detailed threads that explain the overall process, I overlooked the stickies and plan to more tomorrow but if my fellow community members could add more it would be much appericiated.
A little bit of info, I will list below as well) I am a single father or two children, ages 3 and 2, I am NOT a veteran and I would be a first time homebuyer. I live in the state of Illinois and I am currently 24, and my salary is $39,500 before bonuses (I will get another reaise next month, amount unknown but over $40,000 for sure.
I am mostly confused on the following detials.
1. Property tax (are there exemptions, I was told there was? I was also told as a single father with two children I would pay a reduced amount is this correct?)
2. Mortage loans, who can I go through that wil help me the most overall? My local bank was my go to before and I've been there 12 years, they also helped me through with a score just barely high enough to buy and even helped to extend the mac I could borrow (this fell through because well, my affairs were tied, my jokes are horrible?)
3. Loans for First Time Home Buyers and other loans? (the best bang I can recieve here! I've been told one requires no down payment, i am NOT a veteran)
4. Grants and the such I may be able to qualify for, or if any exist at all?
5. The process, should I have a professional inspect? (besides foreclosures sold as is am I responisible for this or is the seller? Does it vary by state?
6. How closing works, and advice you can give me for it.
Besides your own advice I'd love more threads to read I really want to settle down and get the ball moving in my life, I have a job that in 5 years coul easily net me a $80K+ year salary, not only this I can switch careers and continue to grow if it becomes avaible to me. But as of right now I have a good paying job that I love.
Again thank you everyone.
Sorry if this is weird and mistakes, I'm typing from a new laptop without spell check coming up, I have only gotten 14 hours of sleep in the last 72 hours, and I've worked 42 hours in that time period.