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
Term used in the real estate industry describing the price requested by a property owner vs. the price a buyer is willing to pay. Bid is the highest price a purchaser is willing to pay ...
Buying more house than a buyer can afford based on his or her income. ...
The term “a priori” can be pretty puzzling in real estate. Originating from Latin, “a priori” translates to "from the earlier" or "from the former." This concept, ...
Note having more than one maker, if one or more of the makers default on the note, all makers are sued jointly, rather than just one or all, to make restitution ...
A legally transferable debt instrument by which the issuer agrees to pay the payee within a certain time period. Note usually pay a specified rate of interest tied to the market rate of ...
Oral defamation of the character or reputation of another. It is the basis for a lawsuit. ...
Null or void something; Revoke or destroy; rescind or set aside; abandon; abolish; repeal; surrender; waive; terminate. In real estate, to void a buy or sell order, price, or quantity. The ...
A correlation defines how two variables relate to one another. We can confirm a correlation if an alteration in one variable can change the other’s behavior. Using quantifiable data ...
Pipe or conduit for electrical wiring. Enclosed conduit made of metal or other appropriate materials for transferring low pressure hot or cold air throughout a structure. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.