Herbs in Raised Beds

We are starting a new garden and have never grown herbs. We would like to include basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, tarragon, maybe mint. What is the best type soil for these herbs, sunlight and should we raise our herb bed as we have been told by other gardners?

These herbs and most others that you might grow for home use prefer a sunny location where the soil drains well. If your soil is a heavy clay soil that does not drain well, you need to add sand. You need to add 5-10% sand by volume, depending on how much clay is present. It doesn't hurt to add some well-composted manure at the same time to increase the fertility.
Raised beds are useful if drainage is a problem, or if the soil is poor and you want to import top soil to your garden. Raised beds have the added advantage that they are closer to you when you pick herbs so you don't have to bend down as much.