<prompt> Human: Ill be taking a job within the next few weeks that will require me to relocate to Maryland. Im not against renting, but because of the high rental costs I would like to have something to show for my efforts after a few years.Initially Ill be making 85k, and my wife will bring in approx. 30k. We have a 2 year old son who will need to be in daycare 5 days per week 1100 to 1400 and we also have student loan payments at about 180 per month. Other than those costs we have no debt, own both our cars, and want to ensure we make healthy retirement contributions. Im also a veteran so can utilize my VA loan to remove paying PMI. Ive heard everything from you can spend no more than 200k to up can afford 320k. I figure the older my son gets the less I can expect to spend on daycare, Which is sizable.Anyone have any thoughts? Ive sat down and run the numbers a few times but I feel like Im missing something. I dont want to just squeak by either.. Emergency funds are important.Update: Thanks for the comments guys.. Lots of good ideas. We decided were going to rent for a year since we know its stable and then see realistically what we can afford vs what we can afford on paper. Too many unknowns like realistic commute times, wildly different costs in childcare depending on the area, etc. The extra savings can go into a bigger down payment on the house. Best of both worlds. Killer subreddit man.  <response>: This sounds almost exactly like my experience. Vet, relocating as civilian with family. Personal experience, when moving to a new area for the long term, renting at first is an incredibly good idea. My family just relocated and like anyone we spent lots of time on Zillow checking out houses, schools, commutes. But we got to know the area during our first 6 months here renting, and turns out the properties we were considering all had issues that just dont read over internet, not until we got to know the area. The place we did buy has been a dream and wasnt even on our radar before we got to the area. As for how much you can afford, I used USAA for my loan and they wouldnt let me get a loan for more than I could afford. They took all my financials, did their math, and there was the pre-approved amount, quick and simple. The rate was appropriate and the amount was right on. That would be my suggestion for how much, call USAA and talk with a loan counselor 