Dave Ramsey recommends spending no more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay on housing, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees. This rule applies to both rent and mortgages. He strongly advises using a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage with at least a 10-20% down payment to ensure you do not become "house poor".
To calculate how much house you can afford based on your salary, use the 25% rule—never spend more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay (after tax) on monthly mortgage payments. That includes your mortgage principal, interest, property taxes, home insurance, PMI and HOA fees.
Food: 10-15% of your income should be spent on groceries and dining out. Utilities: 5-10% of your income should cover utilities like electricity, water, and internet. Housing: 25-35% of your income should be spent on housing, including rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, and home insurance.
We want you to own your home, not your home to own you. That starts with getting your money in order by paying off all your debt and building a fully funded emergency fund. Once you've done that, you're ready to start dreaming about homeownership.
The "3-3-3 rule" in real estate isn't a single guideline but refers to different strategies: for buyers, it's about financial readiness (3 months savings, 3 months reserves, 3 property comparisons) or a financial affordability check (30% income, 30% down, 3x income); for agents, it's a marketing habit (call 3, note 3, share 3) or prospecting (talking to everyone within 3 feet). There's also a developer rule (1/3 land, 1/3 build, 1/3 profit), though it's considered outdated by some.
And to go one step further, we recommend dividing your mutual fund investments equally between four types of funds: growth and income, growth, aggressive growth, and international.
Your $500,000 can give you about $20,000 each year using the 4% rule, and it could last over 30 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows retirees spend around $54,000 yearly. Smart investments can make your savings last longer.
That's because a house payment will stay the same while rent goes up (unless you have an adjustable-rate mortgage, in which case your mortgage goes up too). So, if you're going to stay put for the long haul, it's better to buy—especially when you pay off your home.
The 3-7-3 Rule in mortgages isn't a loan type but a federal timeline from the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule, ensuring borrower protection by mandating disclosures within 3 business days of application, a 7-business-day wait between the initial Loan Estimate and closing, and another 3-day wait if significant changes (like APR) occur, giving borrowers time to review costs before committing to a loan.
Dave Ramsey, the renowned financial guru, has long been a proponent of financial discipline and savvy money management. This can include paying off your mortgage early, but only under specific financial circumstances.
To afford a $300,000 house, you typically need an annual income between $75,000 to $95,000 (your annual salary), depending on your financial situation, down payment, credit score, and current market conditions.
Dave Ramsey believes you can retire with a $1 million nest egg. Suze Orman recommends saving $10 million. Both experts may be right depending on your retirement timeline and spending needs.
Dave Ramsey's Rule of 72 is a simple mental math shortcut to estimate how long it takes for an investment to double: divide 72 by the annual rate of return (as a whole number, e.g., 8 for 8%) to get the approximate number of years for your money to double. For example, at a 12% return (Ramsey's often-used figure), your money doubles in 6 years (72/12=6), while at 8%, it doubles in 9 years (72/8=9). It's a motivational tool to show the power of compound interest, though his use of an optimistic 12% average return is a point of debate.
That's why we recommend investing 25% of your retirement portfolio in growth and income mutual funds, which usually contain a blend of growth and value stocks to provide a stable foundation for your portfolio.
Red flags when buying a house include structural issues (foundation cracks, sloping floors), water problems (stains, musty smells, basement flooding signs, poor drainage), sloppy renovations (fresh paint covering damage, crooked finishes, DIY work), bad maintenance (old roof, deferred upkeep), and listing/market oddities (long time on market, multiple price drops, little info). Always get a professional inspection to uncover hidden issues with major systems like electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing before buying.
Warren Buffett's #1 rule of investing is famously simple and stark: "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.". This principle emphasizes capital preservation and avoiding significant losses, suggesting that protecting your principal is more crucial for long-term wealth building than chasing high, risky returns. It means focusing on buying good businesses at fair prices, understanding what you invest in, and being disciplined to prevent large, permanent losses, even if it means missing out on some fast gains.