<prompt> Human: I live in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. and have been renting for all 5 years Ive lived here. A few years ago, the thought of buying a home was inconceivable, as I made so little money. Now, Im making more -- 108,000, which is good for the area but not amazing -- and am seeing all these home prices continue to climb and have been thinking about buying. My question is, how much home can I afford and does it make sense to buy at all?Again, my income is 108,000, which works out to about 67,000 net after taxes and 401k contributions I contribute 5 and my company matches it.Here are my current monthly expenses I have a roommate which is why some of the utilities are so low:Expense Cost------Rent 1,100Student loan 733Cableinternet 78Cellphone 30Other utilities 89Groceries 180As you can see, I have a huge student loan payment due to 100,000 in student loan debt and an income high enough to disqualify me from any income-based repayment plan. Edit: However, I will be eligible for loan forgiveness in about 5 years. In addition to my 401k, I do my best to put into savings 1,000 per biweekly paycheck, which works out to around 26,000 a year if I stick to it which I do most of the time but not all of the time.Based on that, how much home can I afford to buy? Is it a good idea to begin with?Edit: Forgot to mention, I have about 25,000 in liquid savings. My girlfriend makes about 65,000 gross -- not sure if that changes the equation. We have been discussing marriage.  <response>: You cant afford a home. Pay off your debts first, save up a few months worth of emergency fund, THEN think about a home. With 67000 take home pay, you should be looking at no more than a 1675 total mortgage payment to stay within 30 of your take home pay. How much down payment you save up beforehand, and if you go with 15 year vs 30 year, will determine how much home your can afford. Id highly recommend a 15 year fixed rate. 