<prompt> Human: Note-Sorry for the wall of text, actual questions are in italics for ease of skimming.I am going to be starting graduate school in late August in Fort Collins, CO. I am not one of those people who is dead certain I will make it through a Ph.D, but Fort Collins is probably my ideal place to live even if I dont. In light of that, I am considering buying a house instead of renting so I am not just tearing up money.Background-I am 23 yo, have a reasonable amount of cash-on-hand, including some in plans that I can only use with school related expenses grad school housing counts. I had a full scholarship for my undergrad, so I have no debt and no experience with debt.I can probably swing 15-20k for a down payment, and the house I am most interested in is listed at 169,000. My credit score is 714, and ideally I would get a mortgage where I can pay off the principal as quickly as I would like, and not be locked into paying a certain amount of interest no matter how quickly I pay off the principal. Is there a term for this type of mortgage, and is this realistic What interest rate can I expect to have, and what would a reasonable payment be? I also know that there are a few more expenses associated with homeownership that arent there for renting. Beyond homeowners insurance and house payments, what else can I count on having to plan for? I am doing a little fact-finding mission later this month so I can look at places in person. When looking for a house, what are a few things to pay attention to? Any advice for contacting and dealing with sellersrealtors?I know this is an awful lot, but Im just feeling a little bit overwhelmed, as this is a big financial decision, and I would love any of these questions addressed by someone who has gone through this themselves.Thanks!  <response>: As someone who bought a house when starting grad school - just dont do it. Flexibility is worth way more than you realize right now. 