Before you make a decision, you should compare your wants and needs. Also look at the short-term and long-term costs associated with each house you're considering. Are the appliances in good condition? What about the back yard? What are commuting costs?

Use written descriptions of each home - from your worksheets or your real estate agent - to help you compare. Revisit your wants vs. needs worksheet. And don't forget to look at your neighborhood wants vs. needs worksheet.

Once you've found the right home, you'll need to make an educated offer. Knowing a home's real value can help you make a fair offer. A home's value is determined by:

• Sale price history.
  You can get the home's past sale prices through county courthouses and recorder's offices, many of which have this public information also available online. You can also check with your real estate agent. See if the value has risen or fallen over time.
• Home characteristics.
  The number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, and other characteristics greatly affect the value. In many cases, the seller and their agent provide this information to all prospective buyers. You can also get this information from the tax assessor's office.
• Similar home prices.
  Ask your real estate agent for sale prices of comparable homes in the same neighborhood.