Whether you're more "Give me a modern loft" or "All I need is a beach house," we're sure you can picture your dream home -- even if you're still saving up pennies to buy it.

And truthfully, buying a house isn't easy. Since the housing bubble popped, mortgage lenders are even Scrooge-ier than usual. Right now, some say it's a buyer's market, since prices are down, but even knowing that, we're sure you have a lot of questions, like: "How much house can I afford?" or "What is a mortgage, exactly?"

Enter, your handy home-buying instruction booklet. "Buying a Home: The Missing Manual" is a clear, detailed guide that covers everything from deciding whether you should buy or rent to knowing what percentage you'd need to put down.

If you're not ready just yet, bookmark this link, because we're sure our interview with author Nancy Conner will come in handy someday. For your sake, we hope it's sooner rather than later!