For starters, you will need to have $10,000, which you will use for your down payment and to cover the cost of your home inspection, the appraisal and a year's worth of homeowner's insurance. All of those other closing costs, escrows and everything else will get paid, but not by you.
Freddie Mac's Home Possible loan only requires 3 percent down, and in certain circumstances, a traditional conventional mortgage can allow you to put just 5 percent down. (Leavitt says you can do this by obtaining a seller credit and coming up with a $15,000 down payment on your own.)
The minimum is usually determined by the individual lender, but it can be 20 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent or more. FHA loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration, are available for as little as 3.5 percent down if the borrower has a credit score of at least 580.
A seller credit, a lender credit and your $10,000 are all the ingredients necessary for you to become a homeowner. Many communities offer 2nd mortgage loans and grants that can be used for down payments and closing costs.
Save for a down payment
You'll typically need at least 3 percent of the purchase price of the home as a down payment. Keep in mind that you'll need to put at least 20 percent down to avoid having to pay for mortgage insurance, however.
To purchase a $300K house, you may need to make between $50,000 and $74,500 a year. This is a rule of thumb, and the specific salary will vary depending on your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, the type of home loan, loan term, and mortgage rate.
According to Brown, you should spend between 28% to 36% of your take-home income on your housing payment. If you make $70,000 a year, your monthly take-home pay, including tax deductions, will be approximately $4,530.
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.
Let's say your monthly income is $4,000. Multiply $4,000 by 0.28, and your total is $1,120. If you abide by the 28% rule, you can afford to spend up to $1,120 per month on your house, including your mortgage, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and homeowners association dues.
If you're getting a mortgage, a smart way to buy a house is to save up at least 25% of its sale price in cash to cover a down payment, closing costs and moving fees. So if you buy a home for $250,000, you might pay more than $60,000 to cover all of the different buying expenses.
If you make $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year), your DTI with an FHA loan should be no more than $1,290 ($3,000 x 0.43) — which means you can afford a house with a monthly payment that is no more than $900 ($3,000 x 0.31). FHA loans typically allow for a lower down payment and credit score if certain requirements are met.
The more money you put down, the better. Your monthly mortgage payment will be lower because you're financing less of the home's purchase price, and you can possibly get a lower mortgage rate.
Example. If the home price is $500,000, a 20% down payment is equal to $100,000, resulting in a total mortgage amount of $400,000 ($500,000 - $100,000). The average down payment in the US is about 6% of the home value.
Monthly payments for a $400,000 mortgage
On a $400,000 mortgage with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 3%, your monthly payment would be $1,686 for a 30-year loan and $2,762 for a 15-year one.
To qualify for an FHA-backed loan, you generally need 3.5% down. That would be $8,190 on the median-priced home of $234,000, although you may be able to use money gifted to you from friends or family members. Your credit score should be 580 or higher, and your debt-to-income ratio can creep up to 56% or so.
For example, if you make $10,000 every month, multiply $10,000 by 0.28 to get $2,800. Using these figures, your monthly mortgage payment should be no more than $2,800.
While buyers may still need to pay down debt, save up cash and qualify for a mortgage, the bottom line is that buying a home on a middle-class salary is still possible — in some places. Below, check out 15 cities where you can become a homeowner while earning $40,000 a year or less.
What income is required for a 200k mortgage? To be approved for a $200,000 mortgage with a minimum down payment of 3.5 percent, you will need an approximate income of $62,000 annually. (This is an estimated example.)
If you're single and make $35,000 a year, then you can probably afford only about a $105,000 home.
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.
How much do I need to make for a $250,000 house? A $250,000 home, with a 5% interest rate for 30 years and $12,500 (5%) down requires an annual income of $65,310.
– Data from the Federal Reserve shows that the average American saves only 6% of his or her disposable income. Assuming he or she earns the median household income, 6% would be roughly $300 per month, enough to buy a $100,000 home by 35 if he or she started saving at 28.
Results. A salary of $70,000 equates to a monthly pay of $5,833, weekly pay of $1,346, and an hourly wage of $33.65.
For example, if you budget for a monthly housing payment of $2,500 with two percent annually going to taxes and insurance, assuming the current 30-year mortgage rate is 4%, the math “worked backwards” reveals a maximum home purchase price of $385,000.
Depending on the size of your family, $80,000 can comfortably cover living expenses and beyond. According to the U.S census as of 2020, the median salary for a four-person household is $68,400 per year, making 80K a substantially higher income than that of the average American.