The definition of a down payment
A down payment is a cash you pay upfront to make a big purchase, like a house. You utilize credit to pay the remainder of the purchase price within a certain period. All the people applying for a mortgage are wondering how much down payment do I need for a house. The down payment is most often indicated as a percentage of the price. A down payment of 10% for a $400,000 home would be $40,000. If a person wants to buy a house, the down payment contributes to the purchase and represents their initial ownership interest in the real estate. The mortgage lender hands over the remaining cash to buy the property.
Lenders require a down payment for almost all mortgages. But there are several groups of federally backed loans may not require a down payment. This fact should be remembered when considering, can I afford a house?.
Basic requirements for the down payment
You may have read that you need to pay a 20% down payment on a house, but in reality, this is just a threshold that many lenders use to claim mortgage insurance on a conventional loan. You do not need to make a 20% down payment to buy a house. According to the National Association of Realtors, in 2021, the median down payment for all home buyers was 13%, and for first-time homebuyers, it was 7%.
The minimum mortgage down payment depends on the type of mortgage you wish to apply for:
- 0%. VA loans guaranteed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs have no down payment. Such loans are for current and veterans of military service and surviving spouses. There is no down payment required for USDA Loans supported by the USDA Rural Development Program. USDA loans are for rural and suburban homebuyers who meet program income limits.
- 3%. Some conventional mortgages, such as HomeReady and Home Possible, require no more than a 3% down payment. Conventional loans are not government-backed, but they adhere to down payment rules set by government-sponsored institutions, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
- 3.5%. FHA loans, which the Federal Housing Administration backs, require as little as a 3.5% down payment if the customer's credit score is at least 580. If a client's credit score is between 500 and 579, FHA loans require a 10% down payment.
- 10%. Jumbo loans are mortgages that go beyond the applicable credit limits of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Since the GSE cannot guarantee these oversized loans, lenders tend to ask for higher down payments to offset the risks.
Before applying for a mortgage, think about what house payment can you afford.
Advantages of a more significant down payment
Often clients turn to mortgage lending specialists with the question: first time home buyer how much can I afford? First, analyze your financial situation.
Saving the right amount of money for a significant down payment takes time, so requiring zero or minimal down payment can speed up your opportunity to buy a property. But making a more substantial down payment has benefits, including:
- Better mortgage rates: Lenders may lower your interest rate if you make a larger down payment. If you borrow a smaller portion of the home's value, the lenders' risk is reduced, and they tend to reward it with better terms.
- More equity right now: home equity is the value of your home minus the amount you owe on the mortgage. Indeed, it's the extent to which your home is an asset rather than a debt.
- Small monthly mortgage payment: borrowing a lower value of your home reduces your principal, which means you will pay less interest over the life of the loan, which positively affects on mortgage affordability.
- Small upfront and current payments: mortgage programs with low or no down payment, supported by the state, reducing lenders' risk by guaranteeing part of the loans. If the borrower defaults on one of these loans, the relevant government agency will reimburse the lender. To offset some of these costs, these loans may come with high one-time costs, such as VA financing fees, or additional ongoing expenses, like FHA mortgage insurance.
You can try different scenarios with a mortgage calculator based on salary to comprehend how changing the amount of your down payment can affect other costs.
How much will you pay for the house?
If you wonder: how much I can afford to buy a house, the answer depends on your goals and financial situation. There are many benefits to having a sizeable down payment, but too much can leave you short on cash once you move in.
Don't use all your savings for a down payment. It's also essential to have enough cash to cover closing costs, typically 2%-5% of the home's purchase price. Leaving some headroom for house repairs and maintenance and possible emergencies is a good idea, even if you're buying a ready-to-move-in home. In general, you want to make sure that your down payment leaves you enough room to cover all the costs of purchasing a home.
Before using the home affordable calculator, we advise shopping around. Compare mortgage rates and programs offered by lenders to choose the best variant.
