<prompt> Human: Can i afford a 240k house? i make 60k a year commission based so i can fluctuate sometimes. FICO is 740, have 25k saved up. Loan amount would be 215k, and the payment would be 1350 PITI. I know i qualify on paper, but part of me is scared to jump into this. I am 26 years old, and have zero debt. just paid off my student loan 2 months ago. I know this is the next step but i dont think im ready for the responsibility that comes with owning a house. Have 10k in a 401k, i contribute 15 of each check to it. I dont carry any credit card balances, but i feel like after the mortgage, bills and food i will have very little left over each month. I dont want to be house poor but i also dont want to rent. Any guidance is appreciated!!  <response>: How are you calculating the 1350 PITI? 4.5 interest over 30 years puts you at 1100 for PI alone, and thats on the low end of mortgage rates 20 down, 750 FICO. In your case youd prob be looking at more like 5 interest with only 10, and PMI alone will kick you into the 1350 ballpark. Add insurance and tax and youll be looking at more like 1500 a month payment. If the 1350 number was already borderline, does 1500 work at all for your budget?Also most people recommend having 1-2 of your home price available for yearly maintenance-- this is an extra 2-3k a year that you have to factor in, so an extra 2-300 a month. Can you swing 1700 a month if needed? If not, this could mean youre one maintenance issue away from being broke. And this number isnt meant to include frivolous updates to the house-- this is just to maintain the house in good condition. For example, I just woke up this past weekend without hot water. Turns out a pipe burst under the slab, and fixing that was 3k out of pocket. A couple other small necessary fixes over the year, and Im sitting at 1-2 of my house price as expected. Furnaces and ACs go out, roofs leak, water lines corrode, etcetc. 