The salary to afford a 500K house ranges between $101,040 and $180,429, assuming a 30 year mortgage, a 7.48% interest rate, and down payment between zero and $15,000. We'll talk about ways to expand this range, but this is a good baseline for setting expectations and budgeting for buying a $500,000 house.
DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS
FHA loans require a down payment of 3.5%. For a $500,000 home, this amounts to $17,500. Closing costs should also be taken into consideration. These include various fees and taxes and generally fall between 2% and 2.25% of the listing price.
You generally need a credit score of 670 or higher, although 775 and up is better for a $500K loan. To compare top options for good credit borrowers, check out our guide. A personal guarantee.
You'll typically need a credit score of 620 to finance a home purchase. However, some lenders may offer mortgage loans to borrowers with a score as low as 500.
To comfortably afford a 400k mortgage, you'll likely need an annual income between $100,000 to $125,000, 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.
What is the highest credit score possible? To start off: No, it's not possible to have a 900 credit score in the United States. In some countries that use other models, like Canada, people could have a score of 900. The current scoring models in the U.S. have a maximum of 850.
To comfortably afford a $500,000 house, you'll likely need an annual income between $125,000 to $160,000, 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.
You'll usually need a credit score of at least 640 for the zero-down USDA loan program. VA loans with no money down usually require a minimum credit score of 580 to 620. Low-down-payment mortgages, including conforming loans and FHA loans, also require FICO scores of 580 to 620.
So, what does a $500,000 mortgage payment look like if you're trying to budget for your first or next home? The mortgage on a $500,000 house is $2,952 per month toward your mortgage principal and mortgage interest, assuming a 6.86% interest rate and a 30-year fixed term with 10% down.
To comfortably afford a $600k mortgage, you'll likely need an annual income between $150,000 to $200,000, 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.
According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.
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.
Considering that the average cost of a house in America is currently hovering around $370,000, our $500,000 price should give us a fairly average size house with plenty to spare.
A 620 credit score is typically what you'll need to get a mortgage for a home purchase. Although you can buy a house with a credit score as low as 500, you'll pay a higher rate and make a larger down payment.
You'll likely pay more interest over the life of the loan because you're borrowing more money. You may not be able to afford as much home as you could if you put money down. You'll have less equity in your home because you've put down less money.
If you make $100,000 per year, your hourly salary would be $48.08.
If you're raising a family of four in 2024, you'll need a six-figure income in 26 U.S. states. That's more than half of America where you'll need to earn $100,000 or more annually to budget for and comfortably raise a family.
What income is required for a 600k mortgage? To afford a house that costs $600,000 with a 20 percent down payment (equal to $120,000), you will need to earn just under $90,000 per year before tax. The monthly mortgage payment would be approximately $2,089 in this scenario. (This is an estimated example.)
Even better, just over 1 in 5 people (21.2%) have an exceptional FICO credit score of 800 or above, all but guaranteeing access to the best products and interest rates.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024.
And when it comes to credit, 850 is the highest the FICO® Score☉ scale goes. For more and more U.S. consumers, practice is making perfect. According to recent Experian data, 1.54% of consumers have a "perfect" FICO® Score of 850. That's up from 1.31% two years earlier.