The number of first-time home owners is shrinking, but don't let that dash your newlywed hopes and dreams of buying a home with the fabled white picket fence someday. Marriage status can put you at an advantage. According to a 2011 study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), married...

"Honey, do you have a minute?" I spoke innocently. It was 11 a.m. and my now-husband was at work. I needed to be deft with my execution. "I've got this crazy idea. I want to let readers plan our wedding. The dress, the cake, the flowers, everything."

I etched out...