Being house poor means that after you pay your mortgage, taxes, insurance, and anything else you need to pay to maintain the home you bought, you don’t have much money left over for anything else
You can’t say you’re poor, though, because property ownership is a staple of the middle class, and most of your money is going towards improving your net worth.
A great realtor will listen to you and talk with you about your budget. A not-so-great realtor will push you to buy a home at the high end of your budget.
Before starting the home-buying process, have an honest look at how much you can realistically afford. Use a mortgage calculator to make sure it’s affordable.