How Much Can You Afford?

Now that you know what you're looking for, the next step is figuring out what type of home you can afford. A review of your income, savings, monthly expenses and debt will be necessary.

Early in the process, you'll want to get pre-qualified for a mortgage loan. It enables you to move swiftly when you find the right home, especially when there are other interested buyers. It also indicates to the seller that you are serious and can afford to buy the property. A pre-approval is a simple calculation done by a mortgage lender that tells you the amount you'll be able to finance through a loan and what your monthly payment will be.

The price you can afford to pay for a home will depend on several factors, such as:

• Gross income
• The funds you have available for the down payment, closing costs and cash reserves required by the lender
• Your debt
• Your credit history
• The type of mortgage you select
• Current interest rates

Another figure that lenders use to evaluate how much you can afford is the housing expense-to-income ratio. It is determined by calculating your projected monthly housing expense, which consists of the principal and interest payment, property tax payments and insurance premiums on your new home loan (also known as PITI).

Each buyer is unique, and a mortgage professional can help you find out just what you can afford. Your income and debts will typically play the biggest roles in determining your price range. It's simple to make an estimate – just run the numbers for yourself using our Affordability Calculator.

Alterra Home Loans understands that when it comes to buying a home there are a lot of uncertainties, such as: Do I have enough job history to qualify? Is my credit score high enough? Do I have enough credit history? These are just a few of those burning questions. They know the loan process can seem daunting, but they’ll fill in those gaps. Rather than rush a loan out the door, they choose the path of care because their motto is helping home buyers to: “Build wealth through homeownership.”