Several factors play into this equation; your salary, investments, commitments, and your lifestyle are all factors. With interest rates being historically low and with all the different financing options available today, many are finding they can afford much more home or property than they have been able to do in the past. However, not everyone is comfortable with a higher mortgage committment even though their payments are the same or even lower than on a previously owned property. Things to consider are higher taxes, utility bills, decorating, cleaning, and maintaining. Again, this is where lifestyle choices come in to play. But, regardless of your choice, you must be able to ascertain what you can and want to afford. There are several different tools for this, the best one is to take 5 to 10 minutes and actually contacting a loan officer. This can be done "committment free" online at the mortgage link provided. Another tool is using www.mortgageexpo.comwhich uses calculations involving salary assessment and provides a mortgage calculator. Either way, this is a first step in the right direction for buying a property.