I wish I could buy a house today....

I am so sick of renting...just throwing my money away to someone else each month. I really wish that I could buy a house RIGHT NOW, but sadly..I need to get my finances in order and save for a down payment first. But just because I am not ready to buy a house right now doesn't mean that I am not in complete research mode. I have been looking at houses and seeing what the market has right now, but more importantly I have been researching mortgates. I am researching the best types of mortgages out there, where I can get the best rate, how much I might qualify for, etc. I want to be ready and prepared when it is time for me to actually buy that house I want so much. I did go to this site and check out their Mortgage Calculator. It shows what kind of mortgage rate you might be able to get given some information. My favorite calculator that they have is called an affordability calculator...where they really assess how much you can borrow from a bank given your finances. That is probably the most crucial piece to me...I can find the perfect house easy, but finding the perfect house in my price range is another story.