Your pre-approval amount should act as a guide, showing you what you could pay for a home if you maxed out your finances. Your pre-approval amount should not, however, be the price that you buy at. Buying at the tippity top of your price range will likely leave you “house poor,” which means you’ll be able to make the mortgage payment and cover recurring expenses, but then you’ll have little or nothing left for recreation or other projects. So instead of buying at the top of your approval level, but within your comfort level: a level where you’ll still have sufficient money left over for other things.