I am not a fan of winter driving. I don’t know many people who are. I find this somewhat ironic since I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where winters are known to be rough and the snow plentiful, at least when I lived there. Even more ironic, my father spent decades working for the county to ensure roads were well maintained, especially in the winter.

Buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, and there are common mistakes that many first-time homeowners regret making. Here’s how you can avoid them.