The home buying process can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. After all, it's one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. So before you begin looking for a home, make sure you have a plan in place.

Here are some more tips to help you get the most out of your house hunting experience.

Take pictures of the home, inside and out.

When shopping for a home, bring your digital camera along. Or borrow one from a friend. Take pictures of all the houses you visit, and then group the pictures by house address for easy viewing later. This will help you remember the details of each house afterward. Then you can more easily decide which houses youd like to follow-up on or revisit.

Bring a friend of family member along.

Buying a home can stir up a lot of different emotions, and thats perfectly normal. But emotion can sometimes overpower logic -- not something you want when making a financial decision.

You can counter this by bringing a friend or family member along on your house hunt. By bringing someone who's not so emotionally attached to the process, youll have an objective ally to help you identify the pros and cons of each house.

This person can also help you recall details about a house after each visit. And chances are, theyll be able to point out aspects of a home you might not have noticed otherwise.

Compare the house to your budget.

Ever heard the expression "house poor"? This is what happens when people take on more of a mortgage than they can comfortably afford. Ask yourself this question. If you have to work longer hours and scrimp and save just to afford a house, is it really worth it?

While house hunting, youll inevitably come across one or two houses that really knock your socks off, but would also knock a hole in your budget. But you have to keep your finances in mind, no matter how gorgeous a house might be.

Consider the commute.

Heres another area where it pays to be objective. If you find a house you like, and its within your price range, the next thing to consider is the location. Is the house near or far from work? Does it have access to the highways you need? How long will your commute be each day?

Its easy to fall in love with a house and dismiss the drive time. But if you commute every day, drive time matters! Try driving to or from the house during rush hour to get a realistic picture of what youll face every day.

Avoid spur-of-the-moment decisions.

Buying a home will probably be the biggest financial decision of your life. So it requires careful consideration. Know what you're looking for and how much you can afford. Remember to be objective. Then get out there and hunt!

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.