raggie,
I am happy that you have some money coming your way, and that you are planning to use it to buy a home (instead of flashlights). Very wise of you!
However, be careful that you don't spend all your money on the house. That is, don't forget about the cost of utilities (gas, electricity, water, sewer, etc.), the annual cost of taxes and insurance, and the cost of maintenance. If you don't have enough money left over to pay for these things, you will lose everything. That would turn your dream of owning your own home into a real nightmare.
If you have never owned a home before you may not realize that you NEVER completely own the home. It remains the property of the state forever. It is as if you must continue to pay rent to the state (in the form of property taxes) forever - at least, that's the way it is in most states. If you miss one of those tax bills, the state will take the house and sell it for next to nothing to pay your taxes.
The same goes for insurance. If you miss a premium payment, and your house burns down, again, you lose everything.
Well, the point of this is that you don't want to spend all your money on the house. Be sure that you can continue paying for everything else in the years to come.
God bless you, raggie!
Chuck