re: How much house can someone afford?

there is no short cut to get the answer to this question. it is almost all personal preference. You have to start with how much are you putting into retirement. Then, start with your take home pay, subtract all your liabilities (bills) including budgets for eating out, groceries, travel, utilities, gas, cars & maintenance, etc. Don't forget to set a budget to cover unexpected costs every month. After all that, how much is left over?

How close do you want to cut it? Some are more comfortable living closer to paycheck to paycheck. Others prefer to have as much disposable income each month as they can muster while living with what they feel is comfortable/nice enough.