How much house can I afford? That is a question many home-buyers ask themselves when they are in the process of buying a new home. Purchasing a home is one of the most significant investments you will make in your lifetime.
How much house you can afford to buy depends on various factors, including your income, the size of your down payment, any existing outstanding debts, and your mortgage interest rate.
1. How Much Down Payment Do I Need To Buy a House?
The first step in calculating how much house you can afford is determining the size of your down payment on the house. The required down payment amount will depend on various factors, including the terms your mortgage lender mandates, the type of mortgage loan you get, and how much money you have saved up.
2. What are the Various Types of Mortgage Options?
There are several types of mortgages, including 30-year fixed-rate loans, 15-year fixed-rate loans, and adjustable-rate mortgages, where the interest rate changes after every 3 to 5 years. Talk to your lender about all your options.
Now that you have decided on your down payment and mortgage, the next step in calculating how much house you can afford is to figure out your debt-to-income ratio (DTI). This number is significant because it shows lenders the percentage of your income allocated to debt repayment every month, including your mortgage payment.
3. What Numbers and Ratios are Important to Mortgage Lenders?
The last step in calculating how much house you can afford is considering other factors such as property taxes and homeowners insurance rates in your area.
5. What Is the Impact of Taxes and Insurance on How Much House I Can Afford?
Considering all these factors together will give you a reasonable estimate of how much house you can afford. If the number is too low for comfort, consider spending less on other expenses to help pay down your debts faster or take up some side hustles to increase your income so that you can finance more of your home purchase with cash instead of debt.