1. Determine your mortgage limit
   • Create your expense snapshot — listing all expenses in your current budget
   • Estimate potential homeowner expenses and include them in your snapshot
   • Estimate your monthly payments using an online calculator
   • Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to determine your mortgage limit
   • Decide how you will make a down payment and how much
2. Check your credit
3. Determine the type of loan that is best for you.
4. Choose a lender, or several.
5. Get pre-approved. You’ll need the following information when applying:
   • Paycheck stubs for the last 30 days
   • One W-2 tax return if you’ve had your job for over two years, or two if otherwise
   • Recent credit card statements
   • Two bank statements over last 90 days
   • Proof of pensions, retirement, disability, or Social Security
   • Proof of income from rentals, investments, etc.
   • Proof of child support or alimony paid/received
   • Loan information on current home (if you own one)
   • 401K statements
   • Divorce decree (if applicable)

   Get a Good Faith Estimate of fees as a part of your pre-approval.

6. Lock in your rates.
7. Bring all documentation to the closing.

Of course, you can use a mortgage calculator and ask the experts — lenders, agents, and mom — but the reality is that you are the only one who truly knows whether you can afford to buy right now. And, painful as it is, what you need to start with is a detailed expense breakdown. Analyze what you spend — at least get a full month’s snapshot. You’ll see where you may have wiggle room in your budget and what you can afford for housing. (Be sure to count all those little incidental expenses like dry cleaning and yes, those mid-afternoon Starbucks lattes count in the budget, too!)

Sample Budget

This sample budget belongs to a single, 35-year-old woman making $68,000 per year, renting a two-bedroom apartment. Her monthly pre-tax income is $5,667.

Monthly expenses:

Rent

$1,600

Car payment

$225

Credit card payments

$200

Car insurance

$75

Groceries

$400

Health insurance/renters insurance

$208

Electricity

$40

Natural gas

$70

Cell phone

$49

Home phone + Internet access

$72

Cable TV

$50

Gas, dining, clothes, dry cleaning, gifts, other expenses

$800

Memberships (gym, professional, etc.)

$100

Water/sewer/garbage

$0

Property tax/homeowners insurance/condo fees

$0

Alarm company

$0

Lawn

$0

Total

$3,889

The sample budget may not look like your expense snapshot, but by adding and subtracting your personal budget items with an eye toward true monthly out-of-pocket totals, you get a pretty good picture. Now, add in all of the expenses where the zeros are as well as the increased cost of your monthly mortgage payment (formerly rent). Maintenance costs like condo fees, utilities, the leaky bathroom sink that defies a simple trip to Home Depot to fix, property taxes, closing costs, and furniture for your new home all add to the bottom line.

Debt-to-Income Ratios

If you figure out that you can afford your projected budget, chances are you’ll qualify for a mortgage in your range. Lenders will determine how much loan you can afford by using something called your debt-to-income ratio, which is the ratio of a borrower’s total debt as a percentage of their total gross income. Basically, they will look at what’s left in your budget after your monthly bills are paid. These include credit card payments, car payments, child support, etc.

• Housing ratio (or “front-end ratio”): Lenders want your total mortgage debt (called PITI — an acronym for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) and condo fees to be no more than 30 percent of your gross monthly income; 28 percent is standard.
• Overall debt ratio (or “back-end ratio”): These are revolving monthly payments, such as credit card, car lease, or loan payments, student loans, child support, alimony, monthly utilities. (They do not include those lattes, but you might want to plug in your lifestyle expenses for your own sake.) The ratio should not be more than 36 percent.

Debt-to-income ratio standards differ from lender to lender, and vary based on your loan program, but most lenders will give more weight to your credit historyas a factor in determining your particular situation. Here is a typical ratio for a first-time buyer:

Monthly gross household income:

$5,700

Mortgage debt ratio:

28% $1,596.0

Expenses and overall debt:

36% $2,052.0

The mortgage debt of $1,596 is right in line with the current monthly rent payment in the example above. As long as the monthly debt obligations and household expenses are no higher than $2,000-2,300, this borrower should have no problem qualifying.

If your credit is stellar, you will be rewarded. Lenders may stretch these ratios to 38/45, allowing you to purchase more home and take advantage of more lending programs. And if you are a first-time home-buyer applying for an FHA or VA loan, you may also be able to qualify with a higher back-end ratio — up to 41 percent of your monthly gross income — and get approved for these federally-insured loans.

How It Works

So, back to the question: How much home can I afford?

Keeping in mind the variables on debt-to-income ratios and the many lending programs available, here is a sample breakdown for a mid-range home.

Monthly gross household income (pre-tax):

$7,000

Mortgage debt ratio

28% $1,960

Home price

$350,000

20% down payment

$70,000

Mortgage

$280,000

Interest rate on 30-year mortgage

6.33%

Mortgage payment (principle and interest)

$1,739

Here is an example of a lower price-range home, purchased with the same loan terms and interest rate:

Monthly gross household income (pre-tax):

$3,600

Mortgage debt ratio

28% $1,008

Home price

150,000

10% down payment

15,000

Mortgage

135,000

Interest rate on 30-year mortgage

6.33%

Mortgage payment (P&I)

$838

And the Other Costs…

In addition to the monthly mortgage payment, remember to factor in the added costs of home purchase and ownership. Since this buyer above did not put 20 percent down, he will need to add mortgage insurance, also known as PMI, to his monthly payment. PMI protects lenders against losses that can occur when a borrower defaults on a loan, and is required for borrowers with a down payment of less than 20 percent of the purchase price. Buyers also incurclosing costs of 2.5 to 3 percent of the total loan amount. This covers the cost of title searches, appraisals, legal fees, etc.

So what’s left to apply to the down payment? Using the example above, our first-time buyer has $15,000 for the down payment on a $150,000 home, and the closing costs may come to $4,500. The mortgage total just increased to $139,500. Over the 30-year loan period, this brings the mortgage payment to approximately $866 per month. If your head is not already spinning, now tack on mortgage insurance (fees vary based on the loan), homeowners’ taxes and condo fees (if applicable), bringing the total monthly payment to approximately $1,038. The good news is this is still well in the range of the acceptable debt ratio.

Keep Some Money in Reserve

Many buyers invest every red cent they have into their new purchase, but it’s a good idea to keep some emergency cash, or “leaky faucet money,” aside in the event of emergency repairs or a job loss. So don’t completely raid your savings; with home ownership, expect the unexpected.

In most cases, a lender does not really want to end up with your house. They want you to succeed and make those monthly payments that make the world (or at least the U.S. world) go ’round. So when you apply for a loan, the lender will scrutinize your financial situation to make sure you are worth the risk.

You need to get your paperwork in order before you find a lender, but first you should understand the basic facts.

• Down payment. Traditionally, lenders like a down payment that is 20 percent of the value of the home. However, there are many types of mortgages that require less. Beware, though: If you are putting less down, your lender will scrutinize you even more. Why? Because the less you have invested in the home, the less you have to lose by just walking away from the loan. If you cannot put 20 percent down, your lender will requireprivate mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect himself from losses. (However, if you can only afford, for example, 5 percent down, but have good credit, you can still get a loan, and even avoid paying PMI. Ask your lender about an 80/15/5 loan — an 80 percent first mortgage, followed by a 15 percent second mortgage, and 5 percent down. This gives the lender more security, while saving you the cost of insurance.)

• LTV. Lenders look at the Loan to Value (LTV) when underwriting the loan. Divide your loan amount by the home’s appraised value to come up with the LTV. For example, if your loan is $70,000, and the home you are buying is appraised at $100,000, your LTV is 70%. The 30 percent down payment makes that a fairly low LTV. But even if your LTV is 95 percent you can still get a loan, most likely for a higher interest rate.

• Debt ratios. There are two debt-to-income ratios that you need to consider. First, look at your housing ratio (sometimes called the “front-end ratio”); this is your anticipated monthly house payment plus other costs of homeownership (e.g., condo fees, etc.). Divide that amount by your gross monthly income. That gives you one part of what you need. The other is the debt ratio (or “back-end ratio”). Take all your monthly installment or revolving debt (e.g., credit cards, student loans, alimony, child support) in addition to your housing expenses. Divide that by your gross income as well. Now you have your debt ratios: Generally, it should be no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income for the front ratio, and 36 percent for the back, but the guidelines vary widely. A high income borrower might be able to have ratios closer to 40 percent and 50 percent.

• Credit report. A lender will run a credit report on you; this record of your credit history will result in a score. Your lender will probably look at three credit scoring models (one for home equity loans or lines of credit) and then average them to arrive at your score. The higher the score, the better the chance the borrower will pay off the loan. What’s a good score? Well, FICO (acronym for Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that invented the model) is usually the standard; scores range from 350-850. FICO’s median score is 723, and 680 and over is generally the minimum score for getting “A” credit loans. Lenders treat the scores in different ways, but in general the higher the score, the better interest rate you’ll be offered.

• Automated Underwriting System. The days when a lender would sit down with you to go over your loan are over. Today you can find out if you qualify for a loan quickly via an automated underwriting system, a software program that looks at things like your credit score and debt ratios. Most lenders use an AUS to pre-approve a borrower. You still need to provide some information, but the system takes your word for most of it. Later on, you’ll have to provide more proof that what you gave the AUS is correct.

It’s a bit of a misnomer, since Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are not loans at all. What they do is insure loans so that lenders can offer mortgage assistance to people who:

• Have fair or poor credit
• Have a low down payment (must have at least 3.5%)
• Have undergone bankruptcy
• Have been foreclosed on

Essentially, the federal government insures loans for FHA-approved lenders so that lenders reduce their risk of loss if they lend to borrowers who could default on their mortgage payments. The FHA program has been in place since the 1930s to help stimulate the housing market by making loans accessible and affordable. Traditionally, FHA loans have helped military families who return from war, the elderly, handicapped, or lower-income families, but really, anyone can get an FHA loan – they are not just for first-time home buyers.

What are the advantages of a FHA Loan?

An FHA loan is the easiest type of real estate mortgage loan to qualify for because it requires a low down payment and you can have less-than-perfect credit. Also, because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders are more willing to provide loans. Another advantage of an FHA loan is it’s assumable, which means if you want to sell your home, the buyer can “assume” the loan you have. FHA loans can be used for a home purchase or a refinance.

How Do I get an FHA Loan?

You can shop anonymously for mortgage rates for an FHA loan on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace. Just submit a loan request and you will receive custom quotes instantly from a marketplace filled with thousands of lenders. The process is free, easy and best of all, you are anonymous.

What Do I need to Qualify for an FHA Loan?

• Must have steady employment history or worked for same employer for the last two years.
• Must have valid Social Security number, lawful residency in the U.S., and be of legal age to sign a mortgage in your state.
• Must make a minimum down payment of 3.5% on the house, or 10% down if your credit score is between 500 and 579. The money can be gifted by a family member (conventional financing does not allow gifting).
• Must have a property appraisal from an FHA-approved appraiser.
• Mortgage payment (including principal, interest, property taxes, property insurance) needs to be less than 31% of your gross monthly income.
• Monthly debt (mortgage, credit cards, auto, student loans, etc.) cannot be more than 43% of your monthly income.
• Must have a minimum credit score of 500. A credit score of 580 and above requires a 3.5% down payment and a credit score of 500-579 requires a 10% down payment. FHA-qualified lenders will use a case-by-case basis to determine an applicants’ credit worthiness.
• Must be two years out of bankruptcy, with good credit.
• Must be three years out of foreclosure, with good credit.

Car Nuts…. enjoy!

The Floor is yours..