A good starting point is to know how much house you can afford. A monthly mortgage payment weighs heavily on your budget.

Choosing the new-construction route comes with challenges like cost overruns, permitting delays and supply-chain issues, but also the promise of getting a fully customized home. Credit...Kate Warren ...

The Sephes family made a few compromises to get their family of eight into a quiet Mount Airy home. The house: a 1,380-square ...