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
Large scale map of an urban area detailing land use. City plans are essential for projecting the growth, development, and redevelopment of the urban area. The major objective of a city plan ...
Organizational governing group. Either an appointed or elected body overseeing the management of an organization and rendering advice on current issues. Members are legally responsible for ...
Type of mortgage, which is not based on a constant interest rate. ...
A certificate of ownership in a real estate company. Pledged assets for a borrowing. An example is an office building serving as collateral for the mortgage. Way of protecting property ...
Partially amortized and requiring a lump sum (balloon) payment at maturity. ...
Same as term deed of trust: A document that conveys title to a neutral third party (trustee) during the period in which the mortgage loan is outstanding as collateral for a debt. ...
If you are involved with real estate, chances are you've come across the term "convey" or conveyance. But what does convey mean in real estate? This term is crucial whether you're buying, ...
Siding made out of aluminum, plastic derivates, or cement asbestos having ridges and valleys which is attached to the sides of buildings. ...
Easement with the objective of keeping scenic beauty or to forbid constructing something else blocking that view. The property is retained in its natural setting. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.