Per a request from an agent, here are some estimates of the income necessary to buy a $1 million home in California and a $450,000 home in Texas.
We used $1 million for California because that is close to the median home price in all too many towns and cities (and interestingly, it is much lower than high-end areas like Palo Alto, where the median list price is over $3 million and $1 million can’t buy a dog house).
We used $450,000 for Texas because you can actually find nice homes for $450,000 in TX, and because the FHA loan limit for the DFW area is only $450,800.
We made some very conservative assumptions too, so it is important to remember that the numbers below are just estimates – as rates, property taxes, consumer debt levels, and loan program requirements will vary.
We assumed that there will be no consumer debt (because we often advise paying it off and putting less down) and that all buyers will be owner-occupants; and we used very conservative (slightly above market) interest assumptions for “no points” loans to allow for some movement in rates.
Remember too that property taxes are much higher in Texas – so the California estimates won’t directly translate to Texas (slightly more income will be required to buy a $1 million home in Texas).
And finally, the income estimates are for “Household Income,” meaning that the income can come from multiple parties as long as they will all be on title.
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Income Necessary for a $1 Million Home (California)
3.5% DOWN FHA FINANCING:
$230,000 per year**
15% DOWN CONVENTIONAL FINANCING:
$200,000 per year**
20% DOWN CONVENTIONAL FINANCING:
$185,000 per year**
Income Necessary for a $450,000 Home (Texas)
3.5% DOWN FHA FINANCING:
$117,000 per year**
10% DOWN CONVENTIONAL FINANCING:
$100,000 per year**
20% DOWN CONVENTIONAL FINANCING:
$95,000 per year**
**All numbers are conservative estimates and based on the interest rate environment of mid-October 2023. If anyone is reading this blog at a later date and would like updated and/or more detailed estimates, please contact us and we will happily provide them.
Following the 28/36 rule, you should be able to afford the monthly principal and interest payments on a home purchase of that size with a salary of about $108,000. But keep in mind that figure does not include maintenance and upkeep once you own the home, or the upfront expenses of closing costs and a down payment.
Using the $7,984 payment (at 7.0%) and the above assumptions, your total housing payment for a $1.5 million home with 20% down would be approximately $10,109 per month. Assuming you have no consumer debt, your monthly income requirement would be about $23,500. This is a salary requirement of about $282,000 per year.
A $450K mortgage payment is between $3,000 and $4,000 per month in the current interest-rate environment, depending on your loan type and term. This amount, however, does not include other variables that affect your payment, such as property taxes and insurance.
Putting down the standard 20% can help you avoid paying mortgage insurance and interest and could save you thousands of dollars. So you can expect to pay between $13,500 and $90,000 as a down payment on a $450,000 purchase. Keep in mind, besides the down payment amount, you will also have to factor in closing costs.
An $80,000 annual salary would allow you to purchase a home priced up to around $300,000 — that is, if you follow the conventional guidance, which is that you spend no more than a third of your pretax income on housing costs.
As Madan noted, when purchasing a high-value property, a jumbo loan may be necessary. These loans exceed the limits set by government-sponsored entities, making them suitable for million-dollar homes. Jumbo loans often require a strong credit score, a low debt-to-income ratio, and, typically, a higher down payment.
A $3,500 per month mortgage in the United States, based on our calculations, will put you in an above-average price range in many cities, or let you at least get a foot in the door in high cost of living areas. That price point is $550,000.
How much house can I afford if I make $200K per year? A mortgage on 200k salary, using the 2.5 rule, means you could afford $500,000 ($200,00 x 2.5). With a 4.5 percent interest rate and a 30-year term, your monthly payment would be $2533 and you'd pay $912,034 over the life of the mortgage due to interest.
What credit score do you need to get a mortgage? Mortgage lenders typically want to see a score of 620 or better before approving a conventional mortgage. There are government-insured mortgages if your score is lower, and if your score is 760 or higher you'll qualify for the best interest rates.
The annual salary needed to afford a $400,000 home is about $127,000. Over the past few years, prospective homeowners have chased a moving target: homeownership. The median sales price of houses sold in the U.S. stood at $417,700 in the fourth quarter of 2023—down from a peak of $479,500 in Q4 2022.
If you have a conventional loan, $800 in monthly debt obligations and a $10,000 down payment, you can afford a home that's around $250,000 in today's interest rate environment.
The annual salary needed to afford a $400,000 home is about $127,000. Over the past few years, prospective homeowners have chased a moving target: homeownership. The median sales price of houses sold in the U.S. stood at $417,700 in the fourth quarter of 2023—down from a peak of $479,500 in Q4 2022.
Since many lenders don't want more than 28% of a person's income to go toward their mortgage debt, borrowers will generally need an annual combined household income of at least $120,000 to buy a $500,000 house.
So someone earning $90,000 per year, can reasonably afford to spend between $22,500 and $29,700 on housing each year — which translates to between $1,875 and $2,475 per month. That's a substantial enough chunk of change to cover many mortgage payments.
One rule of thumb is that the cost of your home should not exceed three times your income. On a salary of $70k, that would be $210,000. This is only one way to estimate your budget, however, and it assumes that you don't have a lot of other debts.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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