How to Afford the Most House Your Money Can Buy

House your money

Before you begin searching for a new home, you need to know how much house you can afford to buy. Here are a few things to consider to help you prepare yourself for buying a home.

Since you are new to owning a home, you’re probably wondering how much house you can afford to buy? Everyone does. And it’s a great question to ask and get answered because if you get this wrong, you could end up foreclosing on your new home. And who wants that? No one. Certainly not me, and certainly not you. Here’s what you need to know to afford the most house your money can buy.

There is more to the cost of a house than what meets the eye. Long-term costs are there as well and must be calculated to find out how much house your money can buy. You need to fully understand how much a house will cost upfront in order to get into it and how much it will cost to live there month after month.

To Determine How Much House Your Money Can Buy

Have you saved enough for a down payment?

The down payment needs to be at least 10 percent of the price of the home you want to purchase. But the best loan terms are given to homebuyers who have at least 20 percent to give for a down payment. If you’re looking at a $300,000 home, a down payment of 10 percent is $30,000. A down payment of 20 percent is $60,000.

Will the housing costs exceed 28 percent of your monthly income?

In addition to the amount you have for a down payment, lenders look at the cost of housing in comparison to your income. Your monthly mortgage payment, taxes, and home insurance should not exceed 28 percent of your monthly income. If you bring home $5,000 a month, these housing costs should not exceed $1,400.

What is your debt-to-income ratio?

Successful, long-term homeownership depends a lot on a great debt-to-income ratio. Simply stated, this means more savings, less debt. Because the greater the amount in your savings account and the smaller your total debt, the more home buying power you’ll have.

Note, qualifying for a loan and being able to afford that loan are two very different things.

Lenders look at your total debt (credit card debt, car loans, student loans, personal loans, etc). If they see that you earn $5,000 a month gross, they’ll expect that you can afford to pay $1,400 a month on taxes, mortgage, and insurance. But if you don’t have additional debts, they’ll expect that you can afford to pay $1,800 a month on taxes, mortgage, and insurance.

Do you have a good credit history?

Paying your bills on time and paying more than the minimum gives you a good credit history. Get into the habit of paying more than the minimum on time month after month while building your down payment savings before you start looking for a home, and you’ll be off to a terrific start!

With over 30 years of experience in the Brooklyn real estate market, Charles D’Alessandro is a Brooklyn Real Estate Agent you can trust. He’ll help you find and purchase the most house your money can buy and guide you every step of the way. Contact Charles D’Alessandroyour Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected] for your best start in the homebuying process.


 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

 

Tags: , , ,


Leave a Reply