The time has come to buy a house. Questions buzz around in your head like a swarm of angry bees: How much can I borrow? How much do I have to put down? How much will my payments be? Well, let me suggest starting with the How much can I borrow? question. I know you should never answer a question with a question, but in this case we need to ask a few more questions in order to figure out the answer to our first question.
There are many factors you need to take into consideration when purchasing a home. First and foremost, ask yourself what size monthly payment you can afford. When determining how large a mortgage you can afford, be sure to factor in all your current expenses such as car payments, credit card bills, student loans, utilities, and the like. You may also want to factor in how much you spend on things like entertainment, eating out, and traveling. You don’t want to add a mortgage payment and say goodbye to your social life. Instead, you want to make sure that you’re not overextending yourself financially and thus ensuring the survival of your social life.
At the present time, most lenders will allow for a whopping debt-to-income ratio of 45%...