Question answer section
Question
How much do I need for a down payment?
Answer
Your down payment requirements may depend on your lender, the type of home loan you choose and the type of property you are buying. Your required down payment can range anywhere from 3%-20% of the home's purchase price. Lenders offer a variety of different loan programs, including low down payment options. Each loan program has different rules regarding the down payment required. Down payments can also vary by the amount you want to borrow, as well as factors like credit history.
It looks like you may be able to afford a home worth about 386,405 for a payment of about1,300per month
$376,405 loan amount
With a monthly payment of 1,300
10,000 | 2.6%
Down payment
Information and interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for your independent use and are intended for educational purposes only. Any results are estimates and we do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy to your specific circumstances
What does this possibly mean for me?
Based on your income, expenses, and the loan you selected, the amount above represents the most you will likely be comfortably able to pay for a home. This assumes that your total costs for your loan payments (principal and interest), taxes, and insurance should not be higher than 45% of your monthly income. Also, remember that you'll have additional homeownership costs that you may need to factor into your monthly budget, including insurance, association fees, and maintenance expenses. Mortgage insurance expenses—which you may have to pay if your down payment is less than 20%—are not included in this calculation. We suggest that all buyers get pre-qualified or pre-approved prior to starting their new home search.
You selected an adjustable rate mortgage or ARM. Based on your income, expenses, and the loan you selected, the amount above represents the most you can comfortably afford to pay for a home*. This assumes that your total costs for your loan payments (principal and interest), taxes, and insurance should not be higher than 45%. Also, remember that you'll have additional homeownership costs that you may need to factor into your monthly budget, including insurance, association fees, and maintenance expenses. Mortgage insurance expenses—which you may have to pay if your downpayment is less than 20%—are not included in this calculation. We suggest that for all buyers to get pre-qualified prior to starting their new home search.
* The information above is based on the interest rate during the fixed rate period of the ARM you selected. For example, for a 5/1 ARM, the fixed rate period is 5 years, or 60 months. After the fixed rate period, your payment may change based on the change in the index used to calculate your interest rate.
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Calculate your loan prequalification and more
When figuring out how to qualify for a home loan, it helps to determine your ability to qualify. That’s why we put together this loan prequalification calculator. So, whether you’re trying to qualify for a home loan or an auto loan, make sure you even qualify. Just bear in mind that this loan prequalification calculator is in no way a guarantee. It is, however, a good starting point in figuring out if you can get pre-approval for a home loan.
Loan prequalification calculator terminology
In addition to helping you figure out how to qualify for a home loan, we’ve broken down the terms and sections of our loan prequalification calculator. This breakdown includes the following:
- Loan amount
- Interest rate
- Loan term in years
- Annual after-tax income
- Number of income sources
- Payments for existing debt
- Credit card limit
- Number of dependents
- Real estate that will secure this loan
Figuring out how to qualify for a home loan, auto loan, etc.
The first step in researching how to qualify for a home loan – or any loan – is to take a long hard look at your finances. Exactly how big of a loan are you trying to take out and what’s an interest rate that sits right with you? Are you currently paying off any existing debt that could have an impact on your ability to qualify for this new loan? These are important questions to answer if you want to pre-qualify for a home loan, and our loan prequalification calculator is a great tool to help you get started.