Trying to save up 20% was the biggest mistake of my home buying experience.
My whole fucking life my parents insisted that you had to have 20% down, so that’s what I aimed for. Both my siblings just YOLOed and bought houses between 5-10% down, but I had a better paying job, so continued to save. As I saved, the cost of housing out grew my rate of savings.
When I finally did get a mortgage I only put 15% down and it was at that point I realized that the only thing the 20% down would do for me was save me something like .75% for the first 5-8 years. That is still a lot of money, but compared to just buying a house at $175,000 10 years ago and selling it for double when I ended up moving anyway–it’s nothing.
The whole system is fucked. There’s no reason only those making 6 figures or more should be the only ones with the privilege of trying to own the place you live someday. There’s no reason a company should own a place to live. There’s no reason minimum wage shouldn’t cover a reasonable lifestyle for a family. There’s no reason housing in general shouldn’t be available to everyone.
Pre covid, I was pre approved for a home. I had lied and told them I had $3K for a down payment.
I couldn’t save three grand. Rent was 40% my income, as was childcare. I made $20/hr in a “grown up” job, the type of work my uncles and aunts and parents bought houses with.
The gorgeous $167K dollar house (2016) who’s only down side was it was 45mins from work, … is now worth nearly $600K. I’m jealous of whoever ended up buying it that year.
Would have been nice to own, but a bitch to pay property tax on.
That’s the dagger in the back for gentrification. You live in an affordable area. Then someone builds a mega-plex next door and the municipal tax authority says your bungalow is the same value as a McMansion in the 'burbs.
Nobody will actually buy your house from you for $600k. They’ll buy it for maybe $250k if you’re lucky. Or they’ll wait… knowing the 3x tax price will put you into foreclosure with the next market downturn.
You don’t need to put 20% down to buy a home, either.
Homebuyers can get a conventional mortgage for 5% down (technically as low as 3% down, but that would limit their options for lenders and require a much better credit score) or an FHA loan for as low as 3.5% down.
There are USDA loans that require 0% down, though they have income maximums and for homes in rural areas. I read that they also have square footage maximums (1800 square feet?), but the USDA property requirements doc I read didn’t list them.
Homebuyers can get a conventional mortgage for 5% down (technically as low as 3% down, but that would limit their options for lenders and require a much better credit score) or an FHA loan for as low as 3.5% down.
Only if they are eligible for that line of credit. Since the collapse of the Subprime Mortgage market in '08, it has been significantly more difficult for younger and lower income people to access these more expensive lines of credit.
There are USDA loans that require 0% down, though they have income maximums and for homes in rural areas.
Sure. But, again, a very limited resource with very particular regulatory restraints that won’t help a middle income family in most neighborhoods where people actually live.
For veterans, VA loans can also be 0% down.
Great news for all the serial killers down at Fort Bragg
Andrew Cuomo bragged about renting for $96k/year
You don’t need a 20% down payment to rent a home. That’s the big hurdle, as housing prices have ballooned
Trying to save up 20% was the biggest mistake of my home buying experience.
My whole fucking life my parents insisted that you had to have 20% down, so that’s what I aimed for. Both my siblings just YOLOed and bought houses between 5-10% down, but I had a better paying job, so continued to save. As I saved, the cost of housing out grew my rate of savings.
When I finally did get a mortgage I only put 15% down and it was at that point I realized that the only thing the 20% down would do for me was save me something like .75% for the first 5-8 years. That is still a lot of money, but compared to just buying a house at $175,000 10 years ago and selling it for double when I ended up moving anyway–it’s nothing.
The whole system is fucked. There’s no reason only those making 6 figures or more should be the only ones with the privilege of trying to own the place you live someday. There’s no reason a company should own a place to live. There’s no reason minimum wage shouldn’t cover a reasonable lifestyle for a family. There’s no reason housing in general shouldn’t be available to everyone.
I had to put 30% down for a condo. It just depends on the bank and what you’re buying
Pre covid, I was pre approved for a home. I had lied and told them I had $3K for a down payment.
I couldn’t save three grand. Rent was 40% my income, as was childcare. I made $20/hr in a “grown up” job, the type of work my uncles and aunts and parents bought houses with.
The gorgeous $167K dollar house (2016) who’s only down side was it was 45mins from work, … is now worth nearly $600K. I’m jealous of whoever ended up buying it that year.
Would have been nice to own, but a bitch to pay property tax on.
That’s the dagger in the back for gentrification. You live in an affordable area. Then someone builds a mega-plex next door and the municipal tax authority says your bungalow is the same value as a McMansion in the 'burbs.
Nobody will actually buy your house from you for $600k. They’ll buy it for maybe $250k if you’re lucky. Or they’ll wait… knowing the 3x tax price will put you into foreclosure with the next market downturn.
You don’t need to put 20% down to buy a home, either.
Homebuyers can get a conventional mortgage for 5% down (technically as low as 3% down, but that would limit their options for lenders and require a much better credit score) or an FHA loan for as low as 3.5% down.
There are USDA loans that require 0% down, though they have income maximums and for homes in rural areas. I read that they also have square footage maximums (1800 square feet?), but the USDA property requirements doc I read didn’t list them.
For veterans, VA loans can also be 0% down.
Only if they are eligible for that line of credit. Since the collapse of the Subprime Mortgage market in '08, it has been significantly more difficult for younger and lower income people to access these more expensive lines of credit.
Sure. But, again, a very limited resource with very particular regulatory restraints that won’t help a middle income family in most neighborhoods where people actually live.
Great news for all the serial killers down at Fort Bragg