How Much Money Can I Borrow To Buy A Home?
There’s really no easy and quick answer to “how much money can I borrow to buy a home?”
It will all depend on the overall financial health of the area in question, the financial health of the mortgage company in question and the risk that giving a loan to you will provide to that same company. However, the first two aspects mentioned will weigh less when you apply for a mortgage, after all; everybody wants some profit, right? So, if the overall market condition is good and the financial health of the company is great, they *might* get a portion of their earnings to re-invest to bring even more revenue but the bigger part of it will be converted into profit for its shareholders not necessarily on making your life easier by loaning you more. That’s capitalism, buddy.
Alright, are you lecturing me or answering how much money can I borrow to buy a home, RealEstateAgent.com?
Ok. Let’s cut to the chase. You will get as much money as the calculations of the mortgage company say you will be able to pay it back in a timely manner. And to figure out how much that means in your case, we will need to figure out what is your risk to the company.
To do that, you'll need to figure out what your gross income is (before taxes) monthly and yearly. To get a quick ballpark figure, take the yearly income of yourself - and your co-purchaser if applicable - and multiply by 2 to 2 1/2. Most people will fall into this category. There are other things to consider, however – like monthly debt payments and home-related expenses like homeowner’s insurance policy cost and homeowner’s association fees, your expected loan term and interest rates. If you have a large down payment combined with little to no bills, the lender may believe that you could afford a more expensive home than the ballpark figure allows.
An important thing to do in order to prepare yourself to lure the mortgage companies into a large loan amount is taking care of your credit score, developing good habits towards it. Once you understand what is a credit score and how does it impact real estate, you will be able to secure, most of the times, not only better deals, but with less hassle.
Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms
Also called functional depreciation. Loss of value that results from improvements that are inadequate, outdated, overly adequate, or improperly designed for today's needs. May be curable or ...
Established federal, state or local structural building requirements that have to be adhered to so as to receive certification by the government authority. Housing code enforcement is ...
A wall or roof which extends beyond a lower wall. ...
What remains after something is removed, such as substances left after a pollution treatment facility is removed. ...
Document submitted to a governmental agency to extend the time period for a previously approved document. ...
Clause in a mortgage that allows the borrower to pay more than the monthly amount and to retire the loan early without a penalty. ...
Insurance coverage to pay the balance of the mortgage if the wage earner dies. ...
Air penetrating crevices in a structure. Penetration of water into the earth or through a structure. For example, water infiltrates the basement of a house causing it to be damp. ...
Individual: Adjusted gross income less itemized deductions and personal exemptions. After taxable income is computed, the tax to be paid can be determined by looking at the tax rate ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.