Plant basil when the weather is consistently warm where you are. I've seen a lot of people disappointed with their basil and they almost all planted much too early. It grows fast in warm sunny weather.

I think the best way to get started (heh) is to find someone with a lot of houseplants and ask them for a few starts. People with a lot of plants are usually pretty enthusiastic about talking about their plants and like sharing them with other enthusiastic people, and they can advise you on ones that will work well in the level of light in your house.