As our regular readers know, we get every type of question under the sun, most of which we post directly to the site and let the community answer. Sometimes answers aren’t so cut and dry and there are certainly differing opinions. One very common question these days is “How much money do I need to put down” to buy a house. The long and short of it is to plan on 20%, but there are exceptions and we asked a mortgage expert, and generally the rules go like this:
3.5% to 30% –depends on loan amount.
Jumbo loans (greater than $625,000) require 30% down
Loans up to $625,000 require 20% down and smaller than $417,000 are min 3.5% (FHA) down.
Basic guidelines indeed, but something to keep in mind when looking for your home. Remember, these are LOAN amounts, not purchase prices, and any day that $625k limit will be raised to the new $729,750 amount. You can also get FHA loans up to $729,750 and put as little down as 3.5% (we’re told); however, for most condo developments, you are required to put at least 10% down on FHA loans. It’s all really confusing, and if you have more questions, give us a shout and we’ll put you in touch with a mortgage expert. (thefrontsteps@gmail.com)