If you in the process of looking for your first home, there are some essential steps that you should be aware of. Many times, people fall in love with a home and rush into the deal-not considering some important issues. Unfortunately, many of those people end up unhappy with their purchase or end up with a deal gone bad.

Avoid this by following the suggestions below and ensuring that you have thought out your purchase thoroughly.

The most important consideration should be the sales price of the home. Just because it's the best home in the neighborhood, that doesn't mean that you should pay a lot more for it. In fact, experts tell us that the "best" house in the neighborhood probably won't sell for much more than the other homes in the area. You should look to pay not more than 10-20 more than the other homes in the area-no matter how much nicer the home is. Anything higher than that is based on emotion-not business-and will probably cost you when you go to sell it.

Next, you should take a serious look at the neighborhood itself. How are the school systems rated? Even if you don't have children this is important because when you go to sell the home, your buyers might. Is the house located in a convenient area, or would you have to drive excess miles to do your grocery shopping? In addition, you should visit the area in the day time, as well as the night. Does the "feel" of the area change when it's dark, or does it still look like a nice place to live?

Finally-and perhaps most importantly-don't get caught up in "house fever" and commit to buying more than you can afford. One way to do this is by being pre-approved by your mortgage company. This will tell you exactly how much you can afford to pay, and that will automatically slim down your options. A good rule of thumb when you're shopping is that your mortgage payment shouldn't exceed more than 36 percent of your income.

To view our recommended home mortgage lenders or to read more articles about bome buying, visit: Recommended Mortgage Lenders Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide. It is an information website with articles and news about various types of loans.