Thumbs Down: Don't Stretch

With real estate prices on a tear,a house you can afford maynot seem like enough house. Financialgurus advise against trying tostretch your budget to pay a biggermortgage on a bigger house, however.Several bad things can happenwhen you overreach on your mortgage;the worst is the possible loss ofyour home if you default on the loan.Another possibility is that the realestate market takes a breather, leavingyou with a mortgage that's biggerthan what your home is worth. Also,if you take a longer view, you may betrading in a comfortable retirementfor today's luxury, since the extra cashyou put into the mortgage paymentis money you could be investing foryour golden years.