Down Payment
The initial cash payment, usually represented as a percentage of the total purchase price, a home buyer makes when purchasing a home. For example, a 20% down payment on a $200,000 house is $40,000. A 20% down payment typically allows you to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI).
How Much Are Closing Costs? Closing costs are typically 3% – 6% of the loan amount. This means that if you take out a mortgage worth $200,000, you can expect to add closing costs of about $6,000 – $12,000 to your total cost.
Factor in income, monthly debt and more to better understand your ideal loan amount. You probably want to be making about $75000 a year to afford a 200K home. (Another good rule of thumb is to multiply your annual salary by 3, and that is the maximum house you want to look at).
Down Payment Impact
Different down payments on a $200,000 home: 3.5% = $7,000 down. 10% = $20,000 down. 20% = $40,000 down (eliminates mortgage insurance)
To purchase a $200,000 house, you need a down payment of at least $40,000 (20% of the home price) to avoid PMI on a conventional mortgage. If you're a first-time home buyer, you could save a smaller down payment of $10,000–20,000 (5–10%). But remember, that will drive up your monthly payment with PMI fees.
If you earn around $50,000 to $60,000 a year or more, you may be in a good position to afford a $150,000 mortgage. But the exact amount you'll be able to borrow — even if you are in that salary range — will likely depend on several other variables as well, including how much debt you have and your credit score.
A person who makes $50,000 a year might be able to afford a house worth anywhere from $180,000 to nearly $258,000. That's because your annual salary isn't the only variable that determines your home buying budget. You also have to consider your credit score, current debts, mortgage rates, and many other factors.
On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.
4. Credit Score. For a $200,000 home, you'll likely need a fair to good credit score: 740+: Best rates and terms.
Mortgage to income ratio: Common rules
To gauge how much you can afford using this rule, multiply your monthly gross income by 28%. 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.
To determine how much rent to charge a tenant, many landlords use the 1% rule — which suggests charging 1% of the home's value for rent. For example, a home valued at $220,000 would rent for $2,200 per month.
If you want to avoid mortgage insurance by putting 20% down, your down payment should be $100,000. If you plan to put 8% down (the median for first-time homebuyers) it would be $40,000. If you're a first-time homebuyer with an FHA loan and a 3% down requirement, you would need $15,000.
Often, a down payment for a home is expressed as a percentage of the purchase price. As an example, for a $250,000 home, a down payment of 3.5% is $8,750, while 20% is $50,000.
If you want to have a minimalist lifestyle, 36k/year is more then enough. If you want a home, family, car, insurance and some "toys", it's not going to be enough, at least in a majority of places in the U.S. But again, the term "decent" is pretty objective. Can you be content? Depends on your expectations.
I make $25K a year; can I buy a house? Yes, if you make $25K a year, you can likely afford around $580 per month for a monthly mortgage payment. With a 6% fixed rate and a 3% down payment, this could buy you a house worth about $100,000. However, consult a mortgage lender for exact numbers tailored to your situation.
Conventional loans typically require 3-20% down for a $200,000 house. Government-backed loans like FHA, VA, and USDA have different down payment requirements. Your down payment affects your monthly payments, interest rates, and additional costs like PMI.
$48,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $90,000 is the 90th percentile. Salaries above this are outliers.
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.
A 30-year, $150,000 mortgage at a 7% fixed interest rate will be about $998 per month (not including property taxes or mortgage interest), while a 15-year mortgage at the same rate would cost about $1,348 monthly.
Can I buy a house with low income? Yes. There is not a specific minimum income to qualify for a mortgage and there are various loan types and programs designed to help eligible buyers cover a down payment or even closing costs.
For a single person, especially one who's not supporting any dependents, $150,000 is a good annual salary. Consider the average salary in the U.S., which is $65,470, according to May 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A $150,000 annual salary is about 129% higher than the national average.