What Size House or Wedding Can I Afford? Keeping Your Spending Realistic, and Smart: Keeping Your Spending Realistic, and Smart

This Element is an excerpt from Living Rich by Spending Smart: How to Get More of What You Really Want (ISBN: 9780132350099) by Gregory Karp. Available in print and digital formats.

Don’t make yourself “house poor”--or “wedding bankrupt”!

Buying a house remains part of many people’s definition of living the “American Dream.” But homeownership alone is not a panacea, especially in an era of complicated home loans. Recent changes have led many consumers to buy houses they simply cannot afford, which leads to the gut-wrenching process of foreclosure. When buying a home, consider....