If you were to use the 28% rule, you could afford a monthly mortgage payment of $700 a month on a yearly income of $30,000. Another guideline to follow is your home should cost no more than 2.5 to 3 times your yearly salary, which means if you make $30,000 a year, your maximum budget should be $90,000.
While it's hugely situational, it is definitely possible to purchase a home if you're making $30,000 a year. As long as you have enough savings to make a down payment, have a good credit score, and have a decent debt-to-income ratio, you should be good to go!
If you're single and make $35,000 a year, then you can probably afford only about a $105,000 home.
If you make $36,000 per year, you'll likely be able to afford a home that costs between $144,000 and $195,000. The exact amount you'll be able to afford will depend on your debts, credit score, location, down payment, and other variables.
If you make $72,000 a year (the income of the average first-time homebuyer), that's nearly $30,000 you'll have ready for a down payment, closing costs and moving expenses.
The median home price in the U.S. is $284,600. With a 20% down payment, you can expect to pay roughly $1,200 a month for your mortgage on a home at that price. That means that in order to follow the 28% rule, you should be making $4,285 each month.
Buying a rental property with only a $20,000 down payment may sound impossible, but it can be very doable. On Roofstock there are single-family and small multifamily investment properties available that require an initial investment (i.e., down payment + closing costs + immediate repair costs) of $20,000 or less.
First-time home buyer down payments start at 3%
So realistically, most first-time home buyers need at least 3% down for a conventional loan or 3.5% for an FHA loan. That means for a first-time home buyer down payment, you'd need to save around $10,500 to $12,250 to buy a $350,000 home.
Determine how much you can afford each month.
We find that 25% (or less!) is the sweet spot. For the Clarks, 25% of their monthly take-home pay equals $1,050 each month. Keep in mind that this number should include taxes and insurance, escrow, and homeowner association fees.
Even though everyone's finances differ, the best way to invest $30,000 is usually to start by paying down any high-interest debt you might have. This investment in yourself will pay huge dividends by giving you the freedom and peace of mind to make other financial decisions later in life.
Conventional Loan Requirements
It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly payments.
The scoring model used in mortgage applications
While the FICO® 8 model is the most widely used scoring model for general lending decisions, banks use the following FICO scores when you apply for a mortgage: FICO® Score 2 (Experian) FICO® Score 5 (Equifax)
Mortgage amount: $200,000 — This example assumes you have no other debts or monthly obligations beyond your new housing costs, a 20% down payment, and a good credit score. With that down payment, your $200,000 mortgage would buy you a home worth $250,000. Salary: $94,000 per year.
If you want to double your money in 5 years, then you can apply the thumb rule in a reverse way. Divide the 72 by the number of years in which you want to double your money. So to double your money in 5 years you will have to invest money at the rate of 72/5 = 14.40% p.a. to achieve your target.
No, $30,000 is not a great salary for a single person, but it can be livable depending on the person's location and expenses. The average personal income in the United States is $63,214 per year, which is more than double the $30k mark. This initially makes you think that someone earning $30,000 is on a tight budget.
If you start saving at age 30:
Since these figures only cover the down payment, it's likely that you'll need a bit more to account for closing costs, insurance and other fees. Home prices vary, too, and it's possible that the median price will rise in the next five, 10 or 15 years.