Home Mortgage Loan: How Much Can You Afford?
Description: Potential home buyers are faced with a critical decision; how much can they afford to borrow from a home mortgage loan? The decision on how much of a home mortgage loan you can take on will depend entirely on your monthly expenses and how much household income is earned. You don't want to have to scrimp and save each month in order to make your home mortgage loan payment; so what do you do?
Get your finances in order
When you are ready to buy a home, to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on a home mortgage loan, you will have to do some math. You first need to decide how much of a down payment you can make and deduct this from the price of the home. What is left will be what needs to financed by a home mortgage loan. To find out how much you can afford each month, you need to calculate the rest of your bills first.
The cost of housing
Each month, the taxes, interest and principal on a home mortgage loan shouldn't be more than 25%-28% of your pre-tax, gross income. This figure will also depend upon how much debt you have to start. You will also need to add in utility costs for your new home as well.
Your outstanding debt
To get this figure, you will need to include not only the home mortgage loan payment, but any credit card bills, child support or alimony payments you make, student loans and any other outstanding monies you owe. This figure should not be more than 35% of your pre-tax, gross income.
The rate you will be offered will be decided by the amount of debt you have outstanding, not just your income. This is called your debt to income ratio. If you have a lot of outstanding debt, your rate will not be as attractive as those offered to people who are carrying less of a debt burden. It is for you to understand how much money you can afford to pay a home mortgage loan each month and not the lender.
What to beware of when shopping for a home mortgage loan
The lending market is saturated with unscrupulous lenders who are only looking to make a sale. That is why it is so important you have a handle on your financial picture. Many times home mortgage loan officers try to convince you to take out a higher loan for a home you cannot afford.
Loan officers realize that the first bill most of us pay is the mortgage. They also know that your home mortgage loan will soon be sold to another company and that should any problems arise with paying back the loan, it won't be their problem. They will already have made their commission and moved on to the next customer while you are saddled with payments you can't afford.
Do your homework before deciding how much to spend on a new home. Take into account all your monthly expenses, not just debt and housing costs. You will need food, electricity, phone, and insurance, along with the myriad expenses that crop up each month. Be a smart home mortgage borrower and know all the facts before you sign on the dotted line.