After having waited on the sidelines for what seemed like forever, first-time homebuyers last year made 38 percent of all U.S. single-family home purchases - the biggest share since 2000 - and the 2.07 million new or existing houses they bought ended up being 7 percent more than in 2016, Bloomberg.com reported.

"Pent-up demand" is how the news site described it, citing Millennials as one of the driving forces.

But the market for house-hunting newbies like yourself has changed considerably from that most recent high mark of nearly two decades ago. And you know what they say: "Forewarned is forearmed." Read on.

* Inventory is tight.

So tight, in fact - especially for lower-priced starter-homes - that, as the Wall Street Journal wrote, even "buyers in historically calm markets such as Boise, Idaho, and Minneapolis are facing bidding wars, prompting them to dig deep into their coffers to win deals."

Not into bidding wars? Well, there's always Little Rock, Arkansas.

Unlike Denver, Seattle and San Francisco - which LendingTree named the "most challenging" cities in the nation for first-time buyers - Little Rock was rated a veritable paradise for house hunters.

* There's still a lot of all-cash buyers out there, so don't be afraid to get creative.

Though the number of all-cash transactions peaked at 40 percent in 2011 and 2012 - with savvy investors still taking advantage of the subprime mortgage crisis by buying up homes many then rented out - last year's 28.8 percent figure remains above normal. (One reason for the tight inventory: "Investors (are) making too much money as landlords to sell," according to MarketWatch.com.)

Granted, you're at a disadvantage if someone else waves $500,000 in cash in front of a seller even if you arrive pre-approved for a mortgage. However, HDTV.com tells the story of a couple who got a "great deal" on their Denver home - yes, Denver - by adding a contingency to their $300,000 bid that they'd pay $1,000 over any other competing offer up to a maximum of $329,000.

"Although unconventional," the site admitted, "a creative strategy like this can be very effective in today's market."

* Don't automatically reject a fixer-upper because you're not handy enough to fix things like the roof.

Everyone knows you can save a bundle by buying a house that needs work, but some things - including electrical system overhauls and extensive roof repairs - are safer left to the pros. So the question becomes this: How far ahead would you come out, financially, after deducting those costs from the house's likely post-renovation market value?

"An attractive roof is the ultimate curb enhancer, so it's important to figure that into your calculations," said Patsy O'Neill, a sales associate with Sotheby's in Montclair, New Jersey.

You can play around with different looks (i.e., Victorian vs. ranch) by using the free Virtual Home Remodeler launched by GAF (gaf.com), North America's largest roofing manufacturer. And the website's GAF Master Elite Contractor database can help you find the most reputable and adequately insured professionals in your area.

* You may be being watched.

Literally.

With owners leerier these days of strangers walking through their properties, they're increasingly employing devices capable of tracking prospective buyers' conversations and actions.

Yes, it can be creepy. The bigger danger, though, as MarketWatch.com noted, is that - if you don't watch what you're saying - there's "a real risk" of tipping your hand enough that you wind up overpaying.

While it's true that families tend to flock to these familiar venues, (the city has been named one of Travelocity's "Coolest Places to Go in 2018 for Families" and AAA's "Top Domestic Summer Destination"), it is also so much more than the sum of these two theme parks.

So if you're considering a trip to Orlando, read on about how to score the best deals and some sights to see with the fam that you may not have known even existed. 

Attraction Tips & Deals 

The destination's only official visitor center, operated by Visit Orlando, offers deals, discounted tickets, unbiased expert advice and Insta-worthy photo ops for guests. 

Movies & Fantasy Worlds Come to Life 

Universal Studios Florida will put guests right in the middle of the action with the new Fast & Furious - Supercharged ride, based on the popular film franchise, where an after-race party turns into a high-speed race to escape a criminal cartel.

Disney's Hollywood Studios opens Toy Story Land on June 30, featuring two new attractions. The rides, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Sauchers, will take visitors right into Andy's imagination as they join beloved characters on their adventures.

Madame Tussauds Orlando's "Justice League: A Call for Heroes," will give guests the "sidekick" experience to Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, and Ben Affleck's Batman.

Legoland Florida Resort found its niche when it debuted "The Great Lego Race," on March 23.

This thrill ride is the first virtual reality roller coaster experience designed for kids and features Lego minifigures, a rocket-powered surfboard, and an espresso-fueled scooter. 

Outdoor Adventures and Record-Setting Thrills 

SeaWorld Orlando debuts Infinity Falls this summer, a whitewater rapid-adventure raft ride through a lost jungle. The journey will send guests through fountains and waterfalls before dropping 40 feet - a world record for a river raft ride - into churning whitewater.

The Orlando Starflyer is the world's tallest swing ride, and opens on June 1. At 450-feet tall, the ride offers open-air views of the city for up to 24 guests at once, swinging them through the air at up to 60 miles an hour.

Just in time for their 20th Anniversary, Fun Spot America opened HeadRush 360, a spinning and swinging new attraction that takes riders 40 feet in the air - upside down.

And Orlando Watersports Complex is home to Central Florida's first Aquapark, which features a modular series of inflatable, interlocking climbing obstacles, pathways and slides for hours of fun.

For more information, visit VisitOrlando.com.

With color, texture and grain unique to each hardwood species, these magnificent products are as individual as you. And whether on the floor or over the fireplace, in the kitchen or in the office, they provide the opportunity and means to personalize each and every space. So step beyond cookie-cutter and ascend into lavish with the allure of cherry, the iridescence of sycamore, the elegance of walnut!

The appeal is real. Today's informed buyers recognize American hardwood as the gold standard, then and now! So isn't it time to realize your vision of luxury?

For answers and inspiration, visit the photo gallery of hardwood flooring, cabinetry, furniture and millwork at www.HardwoodInfo.com. And follow us on Facebook and Pinterest @AmericanHardwoods, and Twitter @AmericanHardwds.

Watch the video here.

Today's homeowners love being outdoors, and design professionals are being tasked with creating extravagant outdoor living areas with all the creature comforts that are typically found indoors - a task they're accomplishing with natural building materials such as cypress.

Mark Tuck of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, www.CypressInfo.org, says, "Cypress is a beautiful wood that looks exotic. More importantly, it is a durable wood that - when properly installed and maintained - provides long-lasting performance. It's perfect for outdoor use!"

Unlike other species that need to be pressure-treated with chemicals for outdoor use, cypress comes by its durability naturally. When growing, cypress trees produce cypressene in their heartwood. This preservative oil protects the wood from the elements, and it repels insects such as termites and carpenter bees that often feed on and nest in other species.

"Thanks to its natural characteristics," Tuck adds, "cypress has typically been used as siding or as an outdoor ceiling product. But more recently, design professionals are using it for a variety of other outdoor applications."

Cypress for the Outdoor Floor

"Outdoor rooms, peaceful spaces, and low-maintenance materials are the buzzwords I hear most from my clients," says Nancy Moore of The Porch Company in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I like to use cypress in spaces that are exposed to the elements. From my experience, it holds up well to blowing rain that may come in. I love its character, authenticity, longevity, and the fact that it is a renewable resource."

Moore says that her clients prefer porch designs that flow from the inside to the outside, which includes the flooring.

"We typically use tongue-and-groove cypress for our porch floors because it makes the space feel like another room of the house - a room that just happens to have walls that breathe."

The New Heart of the Home

The heart of the home has long been the kitchen, right? So as today's homeowners spend more time outside, creating a secondary kitchen outdoors is a top priority.

When crafting cabinetry for outdoor kitchens, Rod Richardson of Associated Construction Group, Gonzales, Louisiana, relies on cypress, and for good reasons. "It offers value, appearance, and performance that lasts," Richardson says. "In my 20 years of building outdoor kitchens with cypress, I haven't had a callback.

"There are many building materials available, but one has stood the test of time and that's wood. It offers an appearance, feel, and even smell that you can't re-create with man-made products. And when I show customers different cabinet materials - even different woods - they usually lean towards cypress."

Incorporate cypress into your lavish outdoor space. See how at www.CypressInfo.org.

This Mother's Day, graduates across the country are taking a moment to express their thanks as they get ready for the real world, and Messenger is one tool they're using to do it. In fact, Mother's Day is one of the most popular days on Messenger all year.

Omid Afshar, a singer-songwriter and actor who is graduating from college this May, has an extra special thank you for his mother.

"To my beautiful mom, thank you for motivating me every day to keep on going to school and get this degree I've always dreamt of having. I can't believe the time has finally come that I am graduating from the same college as you. I feel like the luckiest son in the world to have you love and support me unconditionally. I love you so much," says Afshar.

As grads like Afshar start college or head out into the world, Messenger has many features to help grads stay connected with their moms, other motherly figures in their lives, old friends and new, as they take the next step:

Video chat. Feeling a little homesick? See your mom face-to-face, even if you won't admit you're missing her.

Get customized. Change your mom's nickname in a chat, add a custom color and set an emoji that's just for the two of you.

Chat with the group. Stay in touch with your high school or college besties even if you're going in different directions after graduation, or use group chats to get the whole family together in one place.

Use payments. Out of cash? Mom can quickly send money right through Messenger. Or with group payments, go in on a group gift for mom for Mother's Day with other family members.

DigiTrax Entertainment is one company on the forefront of the AI in music movement, using AI and machine learning to analyze and create new music.

The DigiTrax flagship program, Music Builder, has proven so popular that company leaders will participate in the highly exclusive National Association of Music Merchandiser trade show in Nashville, TN this summer after winning the semifinal round of the 2018 InnoSTARS Competition in Atlanta.

"We are thrilled that the discerning panel of judges at InnoSTARS agreed that our artificial intelligence music technology represents a paradigm shift in the way we create and enjoy music," says Joseph Vangieri, CEO of DigiTrax.

"We understand the underlying technology that drives the music industry," Vangieri says.

"We have an expert AI system for music creation, and we recognized the incredible potential for the 15-billion-dollar music production industry," he explains. DigiTrax boasts a music catalog of more than 15,000 songs, and delivers music to major distribution platforms including YouTube, Google Play, and iTunes, as well as third-party software partners such as Yamaha Music Soft.

The ultimate goal for DigiTrax is to change the music industry in the way that CGI (computer-generated imagery) changed the movie industry, says Vangieri.

Challenges facing the music production industry are time, money, and the need for an extensive production team that could include composers, arrangers, and musicians.

The Music Builder program addresses all three of these challenges, and allows users to create more musical content in less time without the need for specialized staff.

The music professionals at DigiTrax are experts in producing, licensing, marketing and distributing music. In addition, their AI technology allows them to offer a service for musicians to quickly and easily compare songs if they suspect their original work has been copied by someone else.

"We believe our AI Platform, The Music Builder, will impact almost every area of music, and our seven granted patents will help protect our intellectual property," Vangieri emphasizes.

Visit themusicbuilder.com for more information about how DigiTrax plans to turn the music industry on its ears.