How much do I have to make to afford a home

There really is no set income level you need to achieve in order to buy your first home. The lending companies have set guidelines so no matter what your income level you are not going to be in financial trouble.

If you have difficulty verifying your income, there are stated income loans that could be available to you.

There are many factors that are considered when trying to figure out if you make enough money to afford a home. Most people make enough money to afford a home, but the question becomes do you make enough to afford the home you want. If you can only afford $1000 a month for a mortgage it is not likely that you will be able to buy a $500,000 house with out a large down payment.

A general rule, is you should not make less than twice what your total monthly expenditures will be with your new mortgage (Including monthly taxes and hazard insurance).

Qualifying for a mortgage loan can be a relatively simple process. How much you can afford, or qualify for on paper, can be determined by your mortgage professional. However, you should figure out how much you or you and your family feel comfortable paying towards a monthly mortgage payment each month. Just because you can qualify for a 300k home does not mean you need to buy a 300k home. Remember there may be repairs that might need to be done to the home, you will probably still want to do family vacations, saving for retirement, activities for the children, and many other things that will come up or you need to think about when deciding on how much of a payment you want to make each month. You don't want to fall into the trap of "letting your home own you instead of you owning your home".

If you are trying to purchase a home that your income does not qualify for it is illegal to use a stated income program and inflate your income to qualifying levels. This is considered loan fraud and is punishable under federal laws. If your mortgage broker suggests you use a stated loan to bump up income levels in order to qualify you should find another mortgage broker.

» DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article on 'How much do I have to make to afford a home' is a collection of contributions by licensed mortgage professionals and is not the opinion of Broker Outpost LLC. Always consult a licensed professional before applying for a mortgage.