Remove Closing costs Remove Debt-to-income ratio Remove Inspection Remove Principal
article thumbnail

8 Common Misconceptions That First-Time Home Buyers Have

Realty Biz

But with a downpayment less than 20%, a lender typically requires the buyer to take out PMI — which generally costs between 0.4% PMI can be removed once the homeowner has paid down enough of the loan’s principal. Student Loan Debt Must Be Paid off. Your Credit Score Must Be Excellent.

article thumbnail

51 Brilliant Real Estate Tips for Buyers to Edge Past the Competition

HomeLight

Don’t forget to budget for closing costs. Closing costs are one-time costs that go along with your home purchase, and you pay them on — you guessed it — closing day. A lot of times people have no idea until they get the Loan Estimate that they have $15,000 to $20,000 worth of closing costs,” Ortman explains.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Looking for a Mortgage Lender? Here Are 19 Questions to Ask Them Before You Commit

HomeLight

One of the first things you’ll want to know is just how much house you can afford , which is based on your income, credit score, debt-to-income ratio (DTI), and savings amount (including your down payment). I had some clients a few years ago that had trouble qualifying because they had a lot of debt.

article thumbnail

15 Mortgage Questions to Ask Lenders Before Buying a House

HomeLight

Debt-to-income ratio After looking at how much money is flowing into your household, you’ll want to write down your monthly debts. That’s because lenders will also look at your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI. That number will be your debt-to-income ratio.

article thumbnail

How Much House Can I Afford If I Make $70,000 a Year?

HomeLight

So, ideally, if we round that 28%-to-36% rule to one-third of your take-home income, you wouldn’t be spending more than $1,509 on your housing payment — don’t forget, that should include your principal and interest payment, taxes and insurance, any HOA fees, plus PMI or mortgage insurance if you have it. Safety-net (months): 5.4.

article thumbnail

What’s My Home Shopping Budget with an FHA Loan? How to Figure it Out

HomeLight

In addition to your mortgage loan interest and principal, lenders also collect money each month that they put into escrow to pay your homeowners insurance. How much income do you earn relative to your debts? With FHA loans, your debt-to-income ratio will be taken into consideration.

article thumbnail

21 Dos and Don’ts When Buying a Home

HomeLight

Be sure to also compare closing costs such as application fees, appraisal fees , and origination fees. Once you choose a lender and start the preapproval process , your lender will request documentation for all of your debts (liabilities), income, and assets to get your full financial picture. Get a property inspection.