bazman, welcome aboard! To answer your tax question, at 50k the tax bene’s are not that great, as your income rises it has greater benefit. The first 50k isn’t taxed too heavily, if your income is likely to rise higher in the near term it starts becoming beneficial, over 77k for singles is it 28% but the first 8k is 10% and from 8-32k is 15%, 32k to 77 is 25%. If your income were to go up 12k but you bought a house and shielded 12k, you would avoid $3k in taxes a year or $250 a month. 100k earners are shielding their 28% taxes and a 2k mortgage shields 28% of 24k, somewhere near $700 a month, so by doubling the income and the house payment you almost triple the tax benefit. You are wise to realize that on 50k a 150k pruchase is plausable, 3x income and you will be fine. It is likely your income and savings will rise and the prices will come down so you can meet somewhere in the middle.
