With all the talk about people finding out their no-money-down, interest-only, and option-ARM mortgages weren't such a great deal, it's refreshing to hear these pieces of advice about the fiscally conservative way to buy a house, via Moneycrashers:

• Save up a big down payment of at least 20 percent.
• Buy a home on a fixed-rate 15 or 20 year mortgage.
• Don't allow your payment to exceed 30% of your annual income.
• Save up a large emergency fund to take care of unexpected maintenance problems

Don't Buy A House Just To Buy A House [MoneyCrashers]