A home is most people’s biggest purchase. A thoughtful, thorough, and comprehensive approach will suit you well when it comes to buying the real estate where you’re going to be spending a significant portion of your time.

The first thing you’ll need to determine is what your long-term goals are. Then, consider how home ownership fits in with those plans. Some folks are simply looking to transform all those “wasted” rent payments into mortgage payments that actually lead to owning something tangible—equity, baby! Others see homeownership as a sign of their independence and enjoy the idea of being their own landlord. Then, there’s the issue of thinking of buying a home as an investment.