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We can afford almost anything now. How do we figure out how much house is actually right?

Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·

The short answer

Work backward from the week, not forward from the number. For most of your life, the budget made this decision for you. Now nothing pushes back — and that's exactly when people overbuy. Rooms for a life they don't live. Acreage that becomes a second job.

On stage The 60-second answer

Captions on · Transcript below

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Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.

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The transcript posts with the video.

The longer answer

So inventory the actual week. Who's in the house, and how often? What do you cook, host, store, fix? How much home do you want to maintain — or manage someone else maintaining? A home you grow into is a plan. A home that needs you to become a different person to justify it is a burden with nice finishes.

The home that fits is the one your real life fills. Run the Vibe Match tool to sort what you want from what you've been told to want. Then walk me through the week, and I'll show you what fits it.

The next department over

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From the editor's desk

“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
— Chris Deutsch

Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.