In 2023, Fannie Mae reduced the down payment requirement on multi-unit properties. This created a tremendous opportunity for buyers looking for a way to afford a home. Prior to the change, a substantial down payment of 15-25% was required. Now, buyers can buy a duplex, triplex or quadplex with just 5% down!
So a good mortgage rate could look drastically different from one day to the next. Right now, good mortgage rates for a 15-year fixed loan generally start in the high-5% range, while good rates for a 30-year mortgage typically start in the high-6% range.
Conventional loans are most often but not always conforming loans, and they're considered the most common mortgage option. The minimum down payment for a conventional mortgage loan is 3% of the purchase price if you're a first-time home buyer, and it's 5% for repeat buyers.
How much is the down payment for a $300K house? You'll need a down payment of $9,000, or 3 percent, if you're buying a $300K house with a conventional loan. Meanwhile, an FHA loan requires a slightly higher down payment of $10,500, which is 3.5 percent of the purchase price.
The house you can afford on a $70,000 income will likely be between $290,000 to $360,000. However, your home-buying budget depends on quite a few financial factors — not just your salary.
To comfortably afford a $200,000 house, you'll likely need an annual income between $50,000 to $65,000, depending on your specific financial situation and the terms of your mortgage. Remember, just because you can qualify for a loan doesn't mean you should stretch your budget to the maximum.
Is 5–10% Down Enough on a House? Remember, if you're a first-time home buyer, a 5–10% down payment is fine. Keep in mind, any down payment less than 20% will come with that monthly PMI fee, which will increase your monthly mortgage payments.
There are also loan programs that let you put as little as zero down. However, a smaller down payment means a more expensive mortgage over the long term. With less than 20 percent down on a house purchase, you will have a bigger loan and higher monthly payments.
If your house-to-be appraises for exactly the cost to build, you'll be able to get a loan for 80% of the cost… and you'll need the other 20% in cash. However, with a bank willing to loan 80% of appraised value (NOT just 80% of cost), you can borrow more if the appraised value is higher than the cost to build.
Generally, what's considered a bad interest rate is anything higher than 10%. Ideally, you want to get an interest rate that's below 5% — but with little or bad credit, that can be harder to achieve.
There are some differences around how the various data elements on a credit report factor into the score calculations. Although credit scoring models vary, generally, credit scores from 660 to 724 are considered good; 725 to 759 are considered very good; and 760 and up are considered excellent.
If you have a conventional loan, $800 in monthly debt obligations and a $10,000 down payment, you can afford a home that's around $250,000 in today's interest rate environment.
A 5% down payment provides more flexibility and benefits: -Variety of Mortgage Options: Choose between an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) or a fixed-rate mortgage. -Potentially Lower Interest Rates: A larger down payment might secure you a lower interest rate from lenders.
First-time home buyer programs include FHA loans, USDA loans, VA loans, Fannie Mae's HomeReady mortgage, and Freddie Mac's Home Possible mortgage. These programs offer low down payment requirements and flexible credit score guidelines.
They require a minimum down payment of just 3.5%, which is $10,500 for a $300,000 home. Please also note that mortgage insurance premiums are a requirement for all FHA loans. Similar to Private Mortgage Insurance, FHA Mortgage Insurance is in place to protect lenders if a default occurs.
For example, you might end up with higher monthly payments compared to a regular mortgage, aside from just the difference in the loan amount. That's because no-down-payment mortgages often come with higher interest rates and require private mortgage insurance (PMI), both of which can lead to higher monthly payments.
Average Down Payment Statistics
As of 2023, the median down payment for a house was 15%, or $63,908 if you consider that the median national home price in 2023 was $426,056, according to Redfin. This was up slightly from 13% in 2022, according to the NAR.
Requirements For a 5% Down Conventional Loan
These requirements typically include: You will need at least a credit score of 620 or higher. You will need to pay for private mortgage insurance. Your debt-to-income ratio, (DTI), which indicates how much of your income goes to towards debt payments, should be 50% or lower.
Down Payment: Unless you are able to obtain a 0% down payment loan, you'll need some money to afford the down payment on a 100K mortgage loan. The average down payment on a home is 13%, as per the National Association of Realtors®. This works out to $13,000 on a $100,000 home.
While 20% down is often recommended, putting down 10% is still a solid option for many home buyers, especially if you have good credit and stable income. A 10% down payment option is less than the typical 20%, but it can still open up a range of home loan options like conventional loans and FHA loans.
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.
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.
The Bottom Line. On a $70,000 salary using a 50% DTI, you could potentially afford a house worth between $200,000 to $250,000, depending on your specific financial situation.