When flying first class, etiquette is key for blending in with the opulent crowd, especially if you've never been in a premium cabin. The same goes for business class .

"It's their biggest asset, and with the delay into homeownership first-time homebuyers are losing about 10 years of housing wealth. And that's for those who can enter into the market," she said.

As a first-time home buyer, you may want to make the smallest down payment allowed: 0% for a VA loan, 3% or 5% for a conventional loan or 3.5% for an FHA loan, for example.