Buying a house is the biggest purchase most consumers will make in their lifetimes. An average person purchases a house at 33 years of age.

However, even at that age, many people are worried about making mistakes during the process.

Although real estate can be complex, you shouldn’t be worried if you are educated on the process.

In this article, you can find 4 tips you cannot miss in order to make a more informed decision. 

1. Whether or not a house is right for you

While most people have the goal of becoming a homeowner, it is not always the optimal choice.

For example, if you are under the impression that you could be moving to a new city for work in upcoming years, making a big investment into a mortgage is probably not the right decision.

Other older individuals may benefit from a managed property so they don’t have to take care of home maintenance or yard work on their own.

2. The buying process

Before you begin the process of buying a home, it is certainly a wise idea to learn how that process actually works.

Become familiar with it.

One good source for information is the website of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This government website contains plenty of helpful articles and videos outlining the process for first-time homebuyers.

Overall, if you go in with the knowledge, you are less likely to get tripped up.

3. What your budget is

Another important thing you need to learn is what you actually afford. If you buy a home too expensive, your mortgage payments may be higher than what you can actually afford.

You may end up defaulting on the loan and having your house foreclosed on by the bank.

Consider what’s the monthly payment you can feasibly afford with your budget. 

4.Your debt to income ratio

One calculation that can help you learn just what exactly you can afford is your debt to income ratio. This is how much the costs of owning a home will take out of your monthly budget.

This should include the mo20rtgage payment, utilities, home insurance premiums, maintenance costs and other home related expenses. If you are building your own home, it should include

This should include the mortgage payment, utilities, home insurance premiums, maintenance costs and other home related expenses.

If you are building your own home, it should include home building costs.

Overall, it’s a good idea to keep your house related expenses at or below 28 to 31 percent of your monthly income.

For more finance tips, check our finance section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.