Here's a tip for a home buyer. Before beginning to look at homes, first figure out how much home you can afford. And this is pretty easy to do. Generally the rule of thumb is that on a conventional mortgage lending institutions will loan up to a payment 30% of your gross income. That is to say, your home payment can't be more than 30% of your monthly gross income. So if your income is $5,000 per month, the payment shouldn't exceed $1,500 per month.

Before committing yourself to a realtor or real estate company, do some shopping around. Visit several web sites to compare different programs and people. Comparing is what gives you the knowledge to make a good judgement.