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-get it inspected by a professional so you get an idea of the condition of the house and potential future maintenance expenses.
-put aside money for closing costs, furniture (especially important if you currently don't own any furniture and must buy it all), and unforseen problems (say you have a bad month, can you still pay the mortgage?)
-if you think you would have problems making the monthly mortage payments if rates were to increase, get a fixed rate. It's the safest way to go for most people.
-take into account other expenses/loans you have: car payments etc. on top of what you will pay for mortgage. You'll want to have money left over for things like utitilies (heat, water, electricity) and food.
-if there are things like unique light fixtures and other "chattel" that could possibly be taken by the seller that you want to keep with the house, you'll need to specify that in your contract.
Maybe your real estate agent can give you a small book "How to buy your home" (mine gave me one when I was buying). It's very small easy read and goes thru everything you need to know.
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