Hi@Stephanie Nachtrieb. Glad to see you are being cautious about this purchase and asking good questions. Your concerns are quite valid and your budget should be fine for a smaller SFR and unless you are in a resort style community, like Champions Gate or Reunion or Windsor Hills etc, the HOA will be quite reasonable. One thing on some of the HOA's information, depending on where you are getting it can be misleading. Some of the big sites just import information from the MLS. If the agent enters it wrong, then that data will be wrong. Some communities have 2 HOA's (master and neighborhood), but the site can only import one field. This can really throw off your analysis if both are not available. On the flip side, some communities offer cable/internet or lawn maintenance included in the HOA which will make it appear out of reach, but if you back out those costs, the HOA is actually reasonable.
I don't feel it's too early for you to start reaching out to vendors, realtors or property managers to get an idea of the market, costs of services etc. I am a full time Realtor® and investor and can also help you with local lenders that can get you started and coach you along the way to make sure the loan process goes smoothly once you are ready. Although getting a pre approval may be a bit pre mature, speaking with a lender to get everything in order will save you headaches down the road.
I'm happy to speak with you about any of this whenever you are ready, feel free to reach out anytime! Good Luck.