Getting approved for a mortgage and getting the right mortgage are two different things.
Most lenders will tell you the maximum you qualify for and leave it there. But qualifying for $450,000 doesn't mean a $450,000 house fits your life. It means a bank ran a formula and said you won't default. That's a low bar.
Before I ever talk loan products or rates, I want to know what monthly payment you can say out loud without hesitating. Not the number you think sounds responsible. The real number, the one where you still go to dinner, still take a vacation, still feel like yourself.
Buying a home can genuinely cost more than renting, especially early on. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But there's a version of homeownership that fits your life, and a version that quietly takes over it. My job is to help you find the first one.
So that's where we start. Not with what you qualify for. With what actually works for you.