In fact, the average millionaire pays off their house in just 10.2 years. But even though you're dead set on ditching your mortgage ahead of schedule, you probably have one major question on your mind: How do I pay off my mortgage faster?
Similarly, states along the Pacific Coast—where home values skyrocketed during the pandemic—have some of the lowest rates of free-and-clear homeownership among the working-age population. California (22.7%), Washington (22.8%), and Oregon (22.9%) sit at 45th, 44th, and 43rd out of all 50 states, respectively.
The bottom line is that Dave Ramsey's stance on not paying off your mortgage early emphasizes the potential benefits of leveraging investments, maintaining liquidity and diversifying risk.
Orman recommends that you aim to be mortgage-free by the time you retire. That's because everything you owe, including your home, costs you money, but it can affect your mental health as well. "Debt is bondage," she says. "You will never, ever, ever have financial freedom if you have debt."
Using your extra funds to pay off your mortgage reduces the amount of money you have for other expenditures. For example, you may need to build an emergency fund, pay off other high-interest debt, or buy a new car.
"Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary has said the ideal age to be debt-free is 45, especially if you want to retire by age 60. Being debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — by your mid-40s puts you on the early path toward success, O'Leary argued.
Percentage of Homeownership
The table below shows the percentage of homes without a mortgage compared to the total number of available homes on record from 2010 to 2022. 2 These figures show that the percentage of mortgage-free homes has increased steadily, from 32.78% in 2010 to 39.28% in 2022.
The 2% rule states that you should aim for a 2% lower interest rate in order to ensure that the savings generated by your new loan will offset the cost refinancing, provided you've lived in your home for two years and plan to stay for at least two more.
You might think twice about applying additional funds to pay off your home early since doing so could deplete your liquidity. The extra money you dedicate to your house is locked in a non-liquid asset. If you need funds quickly, selling your property and accessing your money could take a long time.
A: You've asked some important questions, although we think you might be a bit confused about how your real estate tax and mortgage escrow accounts work. Let's start with a basic fact: Whether you carry a mortgage on your property has no impact on what you pay in real estate taxes.
You might want to pay off your mortgage early if …
You want to save on interest payments: Depending on a home loan's size, interest rate, and term, the interest can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the long haul. Paying off your mortgage early frees up that future money for other uses.
A homeowner is considered house-rich, cash-poor when they have wealth tied to their home but lack readily available cash to meet their everyday living expenses. Being cash-poor can result from a myriad of factors, such as unexpected expenses, debt, budgeting issues, medical concerns, or reduced income.
According to ATTOM Data Research, only "34 percent of all American homeowners have 100 percent equity in their properties — they've either paid off their entire mortgage debt or they never had a mortgage".
The Standard Route is what credit companies and lenders recommend. If this is the graduate's choice, he or she will be debt free around the age of 58. It will take a total of 36 years to complete. It's a whole lot of time but it's the standard for a lot of people.
More than three-quarters of homeowners — 78.7 percent — have a mortgage rate below 5 percent, while nearly 6 in 10 — 59.4 percent — have a mortgage below 4 percent. Just 22.6 percent have a mortgage rate below 3 percent, according to Redfin.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling recommends that the debt-to-income ratio of your mortgage payment be no more than 28%.
Age isn't a limiting factor, but your income and mobility may be. If you've built up your savings over the years, you may not want a mortgage, preferring to buy a house outright. How Much Is My House Worth? See your free home value estimate in less than two minutes.
By the time you reach your 40s, you'll want to have around three times your annual salary saved for retirement. By age 50, you'll want to have around six times your salary saved.
For example, if you plan to travel frequently in retirement, you may want to aim for 90% to 100% of your pre-retirement income. On the other hand, if you plan to pay off your mortgage before you retire or downsize your living situation, you may be able to live comfortably on less than 80%.
One of the most significant benefits of paying off your mortgage is the peace of mind that comes with owning your home outright. Without a mortgage, you don't have to worry about monthly payments, which can be especially comforting in retirement or during economic downturns.
Low-interest rates might make it tempting to stretch out your payments over the course of the entire loan. The Dave Ramsey mortgage plan encourages homeowners to aggressively pay off their mortgages early, however. One recommendation Ramsey makes is to convert your 30-year mortgage into a fixed-rate, 15-year home loan.
Peace of mind, saving on interest and building equity are three benefits of paying off your mortgage. Downsides include opportunity cost, reduced liquidity and removing a major tax deduction.