I've read a few articles on various real estate sites giving their pearls of wisdom of what to do and not do when buying a home. Things like "location is most important" and "check out the commute before buying."  Of course all those types of things are important, but there's a few things I have on my own personal advice list that you probably haven't seen on some of these other ones.  This is my short list:

1. You gotta buy the house you fall in love with.  Love being a relative term, because there is no perfect house. Seldom, if ever, will you get everything on your wish list. The house you fall in love with may be the house that's missing some things you had hoped for, but it still manages to put that spell on you.  The spell where you can't quite get it out of your head. You're laying in bed thinking about how you would arrange your furniture, or how it would look so great with a different paint color. You get a little excited thinking about what all you could do with the place to make it your own. If one puts that spell on you, (and everything else like condition, location, size and price works), try to get it before it gets away.  Unfortunately if it does get away, you will find yourself comparing every other house you look at to it, and they may lack the same magic.

2. Don't be taken in by the furniture/staging.  On some level, we all know this, we do, but it's easy to get swayed by "the feel" of a house that comes across as crisp, bright & inviting. This positive impression is often times due to the furnishings and decorating of the house. In most cases you won't be buying the house furnished. The bright artwork and stylish pieces that make the house look and feel so great can mislead you into thinking the house is nicer than it really is. As obvious as it sounds, it's still a very easy trap to fall into.  As we said above, you gotta buy the house you fall in love with, just make sure it's the house you are falling in love with, and not the seller's furnishings or the stager's talents.

3. On the flip side - Don't dismiss a great deal due to minor showing issues.  Sometimes there are things that are so simple and cheap to fix or change, they shouldn't be an issue, but again, they can make the "feel" of the house unappealing enough to make you quickly dismiss it.  One prime example is a seller that's a poor housekeeper.  A dirty house is not easy to fall in love with, but the good news is soap and water is cheap. I've also had people quickly write off a house as "too dark" because they didn't take a moment to really notice how much great window space the house had, but that window space was smothered in decorative curtains, and another layer of blinds and/or sheer curtains, cutting out the light. Just changing window treatments can sometimes make a dark house shine. Don't let easy fixes turn you away from what could be a great fit and possibly a great deal.

4. If you're getting home buying advice from friends and family, take into account the source. Well meaning friends and family may try to sway your house hunt by projecting their own housing priorities and tastes onto your home buying process.  Some folks want a more urban lifestyle, with short commutes, easy access to nightlife, the arts, etc. and prefer older neighborhoods with character. Others may have kids and good public schools top the list. Their priorities may also include a desire for pristine, newer neighborhoods over nightlife access and museums, with a willingness to take on a hefty commute to get those things. If you're the one needing a yard for the two kids and the big dog, it may not stop your single friend from trying to get you to look at that "great open concept loft that just came up in my building downtown!" If you are more of a "city person" with no kids and schools are not an issue, your suburban friends and family may not appreciate that many very hot urban neighborhoods don't always have good public schools. They may try to sway you to a more suburban environment that better fits their lifestyle than yours. Just keep in mind other people have their own lens that they see things through, and it may not match yours.  A home purchase is a very personal decision, be sure to be true to your own household, be it just you, your family or partner.  Those are the only opinions that really count.