By Dixie 
You (Cinderella) are making pretty good money now (finally). All growed up and wanting a piece of real estate to call your own. Most everybody does want to buy a house someday–BUT there are some pros and cons to consider.
First to consider: Are you ready financially?
Do you have an idea of what you can afford? PLEASE do NOT listen to what the Internet or lenders say re you should buy a house 2 and a half times your annual salary. That is entirely true if you do not expect to eat, have a phone, or electricity. Look at what happened a few years ago when so many people borrowed money for houses waaaayy above what they could actually afford. A ton of folks were out on the street within a year.
Go get prequalified. Ask your bank, credit union, or other lender. It does not mean you have to use that lender, BTW. This will be some indication on what you can afford.
And please do not think that the mortgage amount quoted is a real number. There will be taxes and other fees added onto the monthly costs. Plus gas, electricity, water, garbage pick up, wifi, costs of repairs, etc.–and food. You really cannot be seen eating ramen noodles while living in a castle.
Are you debt-free with 3-6 months of expenses saved in the bank? Just in case you lose your job, it is very important to have a Plan B to cover expenses for a short while. You do NOT want to lose your house because your job went bust.
Do you have 10-20% of the cost of the house to put down now? That can be a big number but your loan will cost less and you will have more lenders to choose from if you do. In many cases nowadays, lenders will not even look at a buyer who doesn’t have 20%.
Are you ready mentally?
Are you ready to handle repairs like burst water pipes, broken garage doors that won’t let you in, and gophers in your lawn leaving not-so-cute holes everywhere?
Are you ready to deal with nosey neighbors (there is ALWAYS a Mrs. Kravitz in EVERY neighborhood). Or talkative neighbors or peeping Tom neighbors (obviously these folks have no access to the Internet)?
Are you ready to have a monthly mortgage payment hanging over your crowned head for the next 15-30 years? It’s OK, most everyone does have this debt but just be prepared to sign a ton of scary papers at closing. Scary-scary, not scary-fun like vampire movies.
Are you ready to face the dreaded Homeowners Association? BTW, if I were you I would run from any house with a homeowners association. Rules and regulations and your nosy neighbors telling you what to do. Shudder. Just Google “homeowners association”. Heck to the no on this one for me.
So are you ready??
Now for the Pros:
You can paint the walls royal purple with pink stripes if you want. Hang a pinata of Prince Charming and hit him with a stick. Decorate how you want. No apartment manager to say nay-nay to your creative vibes. It is YOURS (well, yours and the bank).
You can cook when you want, vacuum when you want, dance and jump up and down all you want. No grouchy neighbor living underneath you who doesn’t appreciate Beyoncé at 2 AM. Just watch the Peeping Pervert and keep those blinds closed please!
You are building equity! In other words, each mortgage payment puts you one step closer to actually fully owning that house. And a mortgage burning party is a pretty wonderful feeling.
And the main thing?
YOU are the Queen of YOUR Castle. All growed up.