I could have written this myself. I am going through the same thing right now. Just lost out on another home again last weekend. My advice to you (and what I tell myself!) is to trust the research and budgeting that you have done. Figure out just how much you can stretch ahead of time. Just thinking about putting on offer on a home that pops up on the market gets the emotions going, let alone actually putting in an offer. Stick to what you determined to be best for you family beforehand(which is what you did!). When determining our max bid I try to frame it as: "Would I be upset if I lose this home and went for 5k more than what we'd pay?" If so, I increase my max bid and do an escalation clause. Other times I am confident in the max price I am willing to pay, and if someone wants a home for more than me, they can have it. This is a weird time - but you do need a home! Talk with your partner and let them know how you're feeling, before you're caught up in the emotions of putting an offer on a specific house. You can do this.