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 Questions
Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms
To pass property by will to an heir. Strictly speaking, real estate cannot be bequeathed to an heir, it must be devised. However, if it becomes clear the purpose of the testator was to ...
Real estate business owned by one person having all the rights and obligations. ...
Situation in which a purchaser acquires mortgaged property and continues to pay the mortgagee for the debt outstanding. Although the new buyer continues to pay the mortgagee for the debt ...
Lease where, in addition to the rent, the lessee pays the taxes, insurance, and maintenance. As a guarantee for the lessor, the lessee posts a bond payment equivalent to one year's tax, ...
Same as term one-hundred-percent location: Precisely the optimum location for a retail business establishment in an urban central business district (CBD). A one-hundred-percent-location ...
Also called trust deed. A document that conveys title to a neutral third party during the period in which the mortgage loan is outstanding as collateral for a debt. ...
Capital appreciation financial goals set by a company or an individual over an extended period of time. Long-term capital goals establish a method for achieving the capital goal outcome ...
The initial lessee of rented property who then leases it to a subtenant. ...
Also called triple net lease. The lessee pays not only a fixed rental charge but also expenses on the tented property, including maintenance. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.