Leigh: Graduate, art teacher, oldest sister. Works part-time at the local co-op for the discount, sells artwork at the local farmer's market, bikes to work. Vegetarian, loves to garden and has four egg-laying backyard hens. Intermediate goal: Backpack through Europe for a summer in five years.

Leigh is getting tired of living in the house and sharing a kitchen with everyone. She decides it is time to start looking for a house to purchase. She likes the town and the neighborhood, so she doesn't want to move far. In walking around the neighborhood, Leigh notices "for sale by owner" and real estate signs in several yards. Before talking to a banker and a realtor, she wants to know how much she can afford.

a) What steps would you suggest Leigh take in determining how much she can borrow?