You can renovate a bathroom, but you can’t move the house closer to your job or change the school district.

Do you have a specific or home type (condo vs. house) in mind?

Moving walls is expensive. Make sure the "bones" of the house—the number of bedrooms and the general flow—work for your lifestyle.

Your monthly payment isn't just the mortgage. It’s also property taxes, homeowners insurance, and potentially HOA fees.

What are you looking in? (Markets vary wildly!)

If the inspection comes back with major structural issues and the seller won't budge, be prepared to walk away. There will always be another house.

Just because a bank says you can borrow $400,000 doesn’t mean you should .

It’s easy to get distracted by shiny new appliances. Focus on the things you change later: