What is a reasonable amount to pay for a mortgage?
The 28% mortgage rule states that you should spend 28% or less of your monthly gross income on your mortgage payment (e.g., principal, interest, taxes and insurance). To determine how much you can afford using this rule, multiply your monthly gross income by 28%.
The 28% rule says you should keep your mortgage payment under 28% of your gross income (that's your income before taxes are taken out). For example, if you earn $7,000 per month before taxes, you could multiply $7,000 by . 28 to find that you should keep your mortgage payment under $1,960, according to this rule.
Lenders call this the “front-end” ratio. In other words, if your monthly gross income is $10,000 or $120,000 annually, your mortgage payment should be $2,800 or less. Lenders usually require housing expenses plus long-term debt to less than or equal to 33% or 36% of monthly gross income.
While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reports that banks will qualify mortgage amounts that are up to 43% of a borrower's monthly income, you might not want to take on that much debt. “You want to make sure that your monthly mortgage is no more than 28% of your gross monthly income,” says Reyes.
Mandy Phillips, a mortgage loan originator at Vista Home Loans, ran the numbers with the average property taxes and homeowners' insurance for California to find that buyers with a $2,000 budget could afford a $301,000 purchase price. But purchasing power changes a bit when looking at properties that require an HOA fee.
Breaking down the math to apply the 28 percent rule, here's how much you can afford in housing payments on your salary: $70,000 per year is about $5,833 per month. 28 percent of $5,833 equals $1,633, so that's the upper limit on how much you should spend on monthly housing costs.
Home Price
This rule says that your mortgage payment shouldn't go over 28% of your monthly pre-tax income and 36% of your total debt. This ratio helps your lender understand your financial capacity to pay your mortgage each month. The higher the ratio, the less likely it is that you can afford the mortgage.
An individual earning $60,000 a year may buy a home worth ranging from $180,000 to over $300,000. That's because your wage isn't the only factor that affects your house purchase budget. Your credit score, existing debts, mortgage rates, and a variety of other considerations must all be taken into account.
A house poor person is anyone whose housing expenses account for an exorbitant percentage of their monthly budget. Individuals in this situation are short of cash for discretionary items and tend to have trouble meeting other financial obligations, such as vehicle payments.
If you have minimal or no existing monthly debt payments, between $103,800 and $236,100 is about how much house you can afford on $40K a year. Exactly how much you spend on a house within that range depends on your financial situation and how much down payment you can afford to invest.
How much house can I afford if I make $120000 a year?
So, assuming you have enough to cover that down payment plus more left over for upkeep and emergencies — and also assuming your other monthly debts don't take you over that 36 percent figure — you should be able to afford a home of $470,000 on your salary.
The 2.5 times your income rule
The rule of 2.5 times your income stipulates that you shouldn't purchase a house that costs more than two and a half times your annual income. So, if you have a $50,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a $125,000 home.
There are a ton of variables, and these are just loose guidelines. That said, if you make $200,000 a year, it means you can likely afford a home between $400,000 and $500,000.
The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.
The often-referenced 28% rule says you shouldn't spend more than 28% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage payment.
If you follow the 2.5 times your income rule, you divide the cost of the home by 2.5 to determine how much money you need to earn annually to afford it. Based on this rule, you would need to earn $100,000 per year to comfortably purchase a $250,000 home.
If you make $70K a year, you can likely afford a home between $290,000 and $310,000*. Depending on your personal finances, that's a monthly house payment between $2,000 and $2,500. Keep in mind that figure will include your monthly mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance.
The required credit score to buy a $300K house typically ranges from 580 to 720 or higher, depending on the type of loan. For an FHA loan, the minimum credit score is usually around 580.
$80,000 a year is how much a month? If you make $80,000 a year, your monthly salary would be $6,666.40.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR) | Monthly payment (15-year) | Monthly payment (30-year) |
---|---|---|
6.25% | $2,572.27 | $1,896.20 |
6.50% | $2,613.32 | $1,896.20 |
6.75% | $2,654.73 | $1,945.79 |
7.00% | $2,696.48 | $1,995.91 |
What would be the payment on a $300 000 mortgage?
A mortgage of $300,000 will cost you $3,255.79 per month in interest and principal for a 30-year loan and a fixed 7.2% interest rate. The monthly payment will increase if you include taxes, mortgage insurance, and other fees.
Monthly payments on a $300,000 mortgage
At a 7.00% fixed interest rate, your monthly mortgage payment on a 30-year mortgage might total $1,996 a month, while a 15-year might cost $2,696 a month.
Ever heard of the 30% rule? It's the idea that you should budget a minimum of 30% of your gross monthly income (i.e., your before-tax income) for housing costs, and it's practically a personal finance gospel. Rent calculators often use the 30% rule as a default assumption to determine how much house you can afford.
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