Editors' pick: Originally published March 7.

There is no shortage of factors that can make or break your home purchase experience - especially if you're a newbie homebuyer.

Affordability, access to decent lending and credit terms, home availability, and even your own income and credit score can play a big role in your new home purchase, and that's especially true for brand new home buyers (usually for buyers 35-years-old or younger).

Those factors can really come into play depending on the state you call home, states a new Bankrate.com study.

The Bankrate study cites low home affordability, home availability, "under-35 homeownership percentage", and high millennial unemployment as big obstacles in tough states.

"Tight market conditions and unaffordably high prices really plague what many young Americans feel are the most desirable places to put down roots," states Claes Bell, a Bankrate analyst. "On the other hand, the availability of FHA loans that allow down payments of as little as 3.5% may make it easier to buy a home in high-priced markets than you think."

No matter where you live, there are several steps you can take to streamline and improve your new home buying process.

"Get pre-approved for a mortgage before beginning your home search, and do it as early as possible," says Dan Green, founder of the financial education website Growella.

Green says you're not getting pre-approved to find out what you already know -- things such as your credit score, or the price range in which you can afford to buy. "You're getting pre-approved to find out what you don't know; to find out what might get in the way of you buying a house," he says.

Finding a good realtor can get you into a new first home faster, and with fewer problems in most states, says Jill Frank, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Success.

"Ask friends and family to recommend people they have worked with before," Frank advises. "A real estate professional can help you with the seemingly endless pages of contracts and paperwork, price negotiations, home inspections, and the financing process, as well as connecting you with contractors or service providers you might need for your new home."

"Additionally, a good realtor knows the community and area resources and can help you choose an area or neighborhood that fits with your lifestyle and priorities," she adds.

You want to be especially prepared if you're looking to get a mortgage in these ten toughest states to land a home for first-time homebuyers.

This article was originally published on March 7, 2017

10. Massachusetts

Lack of affordable homes makes the Bay State challenging for first-time homebuyers.

9. Oregon

Oregon's high cost of homeownership drives it down to the bottom of the list for good Millennial home purchase experiences, Bankrate reports.

8. Colorado

A rock-bottom ranking in "housing market tightness" makes the Rocky Mountain state a steep climb for young homebuyers.

7. Texas

The Lone Star state loses some of its home purchase luster due to tight home inventories and limited access to credit.

6. Rhode Island

A lousy job market for young adults and an almost equally-low ranking for homeownership among millennials gives young Rhode Island homebuyers big obstacles.

5. Mississippi

Lack of good loan/credit opportunities and a weak job market works against young homebuyers in Mississippi.

4. Louisiana

One of the worst ratings in "credit availability" by Bankrate gives Louisiana a "big uneasy" mark for young homebuyers.

3. New York

A bottom-basement rating in homeownership (New York is only behind California in that category) weakens the Empire State's reputation among young state-wide home buyers.

2. Hawaii

The Aloha State rates a "zero" in homeownership rates among young adults, dragging it near the bottom of the Bankrate list.

1. California

Poor rankings in housing affordability, housing market tightness, and homeownership rates for Golden State Millennials make California a bad bet for new homebuyers.