Minimum Down Payment

Definition of "Minimum Down Payment"

The minimum allowable ratio of down payment to sale price on any loan program. If the minimum is 10%, for example, it means that you must make a down payment of at least $10,000 on a $100,000 house or $20,000 on a $200,000 house. The minimum down payment ratio is equal to one minus the maximum LTV. If the maximum LTV is 95%, for example, the minimum down payment is 1 - .95 = .05, or 5%.

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