How much can I afford?
One of the first decisions is to figure out how much you should spend on a home. How much will your payments be?
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Your mortgage lender can help you figure out the details, but use our calculators to get you started.
What's the 28/36 Rule?
As a general rule of thumb, your mortgage payment should be
no more than either of:
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28% of you gross (before taxes) income
So, as an example, let's say you make $65,000 a year:
65,000 Salary / 12 month = $5,416 Gross monthly pay
$5,416 Monthly Income * 28% = $1,516
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36% of you gross income (before taxes) and other bills, like car payments and credit card payments
Using the same $65,000 example, let's say you also have a
$350 car payment​ and $75 credit card payment
65,000 Salary / 12 month = $5,416 Gross monthly pay
$5416 Monthly Income * 36% = $1,949
$1,949 - $350 (car payment) - $75 (credit card) = $1,524
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The smaller of the two numbers would be your maximum suggested housing/mortgage payment.*
Use the 28/36 Calculator here to help figure out what works for you
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How much house will that payment get me?
So, if we continue on with the example from above, we now know that the mortgage payment should be around $1516. Using the Mortgage Calculator here, you can see how much home that buys at an estimated interest rate and term.
Play around with the numbers and see what works best for you. However, remember this is just a starting point and your mortgage lender will give you more accurate numbers based on your specific information.
* The information and numbers here are given as general educational information and in no way are meant as financial or legal advise. Please contract your mortgage professional for specific personal and professional advise.
How can I find out about the neighborhoods and schools?
You've found a house, but do you know anything about the neighborhood, the schools, what's in the area? Maybe you haven't found the exact house yet, but you're interested in a specific area. In either case, use the tools below to research the neighborhoods and associated schools to see if they meet your needs
Utility & Service Provider Search
Figuring out which service providers service which areas and finding all those phone numbers and web-sites can be a huge pain.
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We try to make it a little easier with our centralized service provider search tool. Just select your city and provider type.
Website Provider Phone Number
Aunt Bette's Homemade Pecan Pie | ||
Rockin’ Rocky Road Ice Cream | ||
Tom’s Heavenly Apple Strudel | ||
Joe’s Divine Butter Tarts |
