Step 1: Start Your Research Early As soon as you can, start reading Web sites, newspapers, and magazines that have real estate listings. Make a note of particular homes you are interested in and see how long they stay on the market. Also, note any changes in asking prices. This will give you a sense of the housing trends in specific areas. Step 2: Determine How Much House You Can Afford Lenders generally recommend that people look for homes that cost no more than three to fiv