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Mastering Mortgage Basics: 10 Key Concepts Every Homebuyer Should Know

Redfin

A mortgage is a loan specifically designed for purchasing a property, commonly a home. You then make monthly payments, including principal and interest, over an agreed-upon term (usually 15 to 30 years) until the loan is fully repaid. Once the borrower’s equity reaches 20%, PMI can be canceled. What is a mortgage?

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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.

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Avoid Being House Poor With These 8 Critical Buyer Tips

HomeLight

Not everyone realizes this right away, but a mortgage payment actually has several different components to it, known as PITI: principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Principal : The principal of the loan is the amount you borrowed to buy the house. Minimize your debt. You’ll also pay taxes with your mortgage.

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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.

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Here’s How You Can Become a Homeowner With A Zero-Down-Payment Mortgage

HomeLight

Often, repeat buyers are able to put 20% down or more, typically because they are moving the equity gained in their existing home they are selling to the new home they are buying,” explains Cornelius. Instead, you can buy a home and use cash reserves to start building equity sooner. For first-time buyers, this number was only 7%.

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Saving For a House Down Payment? 18 Tips on How to Get There Faster

HomeLight

The advantages of putting more money down include a smaller loan principal , a potentially lower interest rate , and a better chance of avoiding mortgage insurance (MI). Designate a down payment savings account (and automate!). Usually coming in at an annual cost between 0.5% There’s always a side hustle. Get help from a family member.

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Land of the First Boardwalk: Down Payment Assistance in New Jersey

HomeLight

First-time homebuyers can apply for a forgivable loan of up to $15,000 to assist with closing costs and down payment or principal reduction. Designed to help homebuyers buy a home in the rural areas of New Jersey, the USDA home loan program , like FHA loans, is issued by local lenders but backed by the USDA. YourFirst Mortgage.

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