Ever gone out for a drive on the weekend and found one too many “FOR SALE” signs? Don’t worry, we totally understand and feel your pain. When you see nothing but advertisements for properties for sale in your area, you might be tempted not really start thinking about buying a home. The allure of a home is unmistakable — it’s something that’s been touted for decades as one of the most viable investments that we could have, and one of the most important purchases of your life.

Does that mean that you need to buy a house tomorrow? No. You will need to really take some time to examine your true readiness to buy a home rather than just jump into it. Once you sign that contract, you can’t just turn around and change your mind. There is no cooling off period on something like mortgages. You either want to get a mortgage or you don’t, you either want your own home or you don’t. So don’t go into it thinking that you’re going to be able to just back out if something happens. You’re going to end up being out of a lot of money if you take this tactic.

One area that you will need to look at first is how much home you can afford. Thankfully there are calculators online that let you just plug in some numbers and get the details. However, even before a calculator you can look at your overall financial portrait. Do you already have a lot of bills? If that’s the case, then you definitely want to make sure that you’re not just going out to get a home yet. Likewise if you already have a big car loan. Lenders generally want you to choose one or the other — not both. That can really stress someone’s financials, even when things look solid. Will your income and employment still be stable 10 years from now? That’s the real question that you have to ask. It’s one thing to assume it will be, but there’s a lot of people that assumed that they would always have the jobs they’re at, only to find that it’s really not the same.

As you can imagine, there’s a nice blend of financial as well as mental readiness points that you have to consider. Now, if you come to the point where you know that you are indeed ready to begin buying a home, then you’re really good to go! This guide is just designed to get you thinking in the right direction — good luck!