One of the most common questions I hear from buyers in both the USA and Canada is this: how much house can I afford in 2026? It sounds simple, but it is one of the most consequential calculations you will make in your financial life. Get it wrong in one direction and you end up house-poor, financially stretched every month, with nothing left for emergencies or the kind of life you actually want. Get it right and homeownership becomes a platform for building real wealth rather than a source of chronic stress.
