For most first-time buyers, the hardest part of buying a home is making the numbers work. You budget, you save, and the finish line still feels far away. 

But your salary is only half the equation. Where you live shapes what you can afford, too. And if you can work remotely, you have an advantage that a lot of buyers don't. 

You're not tied to living where the jobs are, so you can look where your money goes [...]