Buying a first house is an adventure that wavers between thrilling and terrifying..often in a single day! 

There's a reason it is called "house hunting" and not "house shopping": it involves some of our most primal needs..those of food/shelter and security. 

Emotions are intensified by the fact that we play with large amounts of money. We're probably going thro some life change.marriage/divorce/birth/death/job change or retirement. 

Making the decision: There are advantages to buying - your house payment will stay fairly constant with fixed-rate mortgage, while rent will rise with inflation; a house usually gains value faster than inflation and can become an important part of your net worth; you can fix up your house to suit yourself. 

There are also some advantages to renting: It's simpler and more convenient; you can move and make key life changes more easily; when house prices are high, its often cheaper. 

Survey your spending: Log what you spend for 3 months: trim fat from your budget: pay off consumer debt like credit cards. Start saving money for down payment and put your savings into money market mutual funds to help it grow more quickly. 

Know that nearly every House Buyer suffers "Buyer's Remorse".

Don't beat yourself up. Chances are you did just fine!!!!

Source: Judy Rose: Knight-Ridder Newspapers

"Home Buying for Dummies"

By Eric Ryson and Ray Brown