• Before You Buy
• Finding Your Dream Home
• Keep Your Emotions in Check
• It's All Negotiable

When you're getting ready to buy a home, make sure that your financial situation is in order.

• Avoid changing jobs
• Don't buy a new car
• Avoid major purchases & new debts
• Don't move money around

You can save yourself a lot of wheel-spinning if you take a minute to figure out how much mortgage you can afford. Here are some rules of thumb:

• Generally, a lender will want your monthly mortgage payment to total no more than 29% of your monthly gross income (that's your monthly income before taxes and other paycheck deductions are taken out.)
• Your monthly living expenses and any long-term debts - utilities, car and school loan, child support, health and car insurance, etc. These expenses should be no more than 36 percent of your monthly gross income.

You also need to consider current loan interest rates. The lower the interest rate, the more expensive the home you'll be able to afford.