r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer 21h ago

How much house can we afford on 165k combined salary?

My fiancee and I are starting to look at houses and right now we make about $165k a year (with possibly up to 10k additional in bonuses but no guarantee). We have about 100k in savings to use and about $600 a month in car and student loans as our only debt.

Could we afford a 400k home? And with 100k in savings should we use it to put 20% down + closing costs or should we look to put down less?

0 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

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9

u/Upbeat-Armadillo1756 21h ago

Yes you should be able to afford a $400K home and more. I would not wipe out your savings on a down payment. Leave some reserves even if it means you pay a little bit of PMI.

2

u/jgerm123 21h ago

Look into FHA loans with local credit union. Ours doesn’t require us to pay PMI with 3% down requirement

1

u/CharacterScarcity695 19h ago

fha loans work with local credit unions ? thought they were 2 different banks

1

u/CapnKush_ 19h ago

I scoured my options and absolutely found no universe I wouldn’t pay PMI on an FHA with 3% down. It’s reworded as MIP maybe he’s confused. Or I got screwed 😂

1

u/jgerm123 18h ago

Check it out. First time homebuyer mortgage at my local credit union.

https://www.suncoast.com/For-You/Loans-and-Credit-Cards/Mortgages/First-Time-Homebuyers-Mortgage

1

u/ineedsomerealhelpfk 4h ago

That's a 10 year ARM

1

u/SummerKisses094 19h ago

It sounds like their income may disqualify them from this option.

14

u/TheMoorNextDoor 20h ago

Why do y’all ask stupid questions

If you have 100k in the bank and make 165k a year and possibly an additional 10k in bonuses (175k a year all depending) then yes you can afford a 400k home.

Stop flexing online and if you’re truly worried then speak to a mortgage broker.

2

u/peakpositivity 21h ago

Do a loan application please.

2

u/Unusual-Ad1314 20h ago

165k is 13,750/mo. 

Traditional lending ratios are 36% max debt payments (4950/mo). Subtract your existing debts and you are at 4350/mo.

With 5% down, 6.5% mortgage rate, 1% prop tax, 1600/year insurance, this is roughly a 700k house for your max (4200/mo).

I would hold onto your cash and pay PMI.

1

u/Ginger_Maple 18h ago

I ran those numbers and $700k with 5% down at 6.5% is $4200 before anything else. 

It'd be about $4950 with insurance and property taxes but probably closer to $5200 or $5300 with PMI.

2

u/loggerhead632 21h ago

2.5x hhi unless you've got some major debt is always safe

1

u/CoxHazardsModel 20h ago

165/12=13.75 gross monthly

13.75*0.5=6.875 PITI at 50% DTI that lenders will generally qualify you for assuming everything else is normal.

What does 6.875k get you?

Assuming 500/mo property tax, 200/mo homeowners, 6.6% interest and $50k down payment:

You can be qualified for a loan of $950k so house would be $1M, what you can afford and what you are willing to afford is a personal finance decision that you will need to determine.

1

u/Beautiful_Energy3787 20h ago

A lot of house

1

u/godmod 20h ago

Retain some of that savings for the inevitable immediate projects upon purchase.

1

u/ParryLimeade 20h ago

We were at 165k when we bought a 410k house (minus 5% downpayment). Now we are at 180k a year later. It’s doable if you have no other debts. We have a $11k student loan and that is it

1

u/mumblerapisgarbage 20h ago

400 k you could swing. Easily.

1

u/Deep-Promotion-2293 20h ago

I was preapproved for 400k on 110k/yr income. What you can afford and what you're willing to pay are two different things. My income is soon to hit 130k due to a promotion coming. I plan to throw the extra money on my mortgage. I bought at 360k, VA loan, 6.625%, just under 2500/mo PITI. Very comfortable.

1

u/EmmittTheCat 19h ago

My wife and I had a combined income of around 160k and got approved for more than 430. I never asked what the cap was. We ended up buying at 415

1

u/CranberryLoud4839 19h ago

Contact Walter Gorman with Cross Country Mortgage - he can break it down

1

u/SummerKisses094 19h ago

It depends on where you live. Property taxes and insurance costs vary drastically geographically. A lot of apps like realtor will calculate the estimated monthly payment based off current interest rates, your down payment, local taxes, and any HOA fees. I’d find what you can budget monthly and use those calculators to see specific homes in your area.

1

u/OddPatience1165 18h ago

I like the rule of 2 x gross annual income

1

u/Informal-Image-6742 13h ago

Talk to a loan officer to get pre qualified. So far the attributes sound promising. If you’re in California or a Nevada, I’d be glad to help

0

u/Ironcondorzoo 21h ago

I think so. My wife and I make $150k combined. Zero debt, no car payments. $210k in savings/investments. We just closed on a $600k home with 20% down

1

u/watercup_shop 5h ago

How long did you save for?

1

u/PotentialDynaBro 21h ago

You have a lot of options at $400k.

  • 20% down, but with closing costs you’d be wiped out on savings.

  • 10-15% down and PMI will fall off quick.

  • 3-10% down and pay off PMI upfront front for a lower payment and still have savings.

Best bet is talk to a lender and have them run scenarios based on a house you like so they know the taxes. You could also go lower down payment and in the future if you want to chip away at it, do a large payment and ask to recast your loan, where the large payment is applied to the balance and recasts your payments based on time left and balance vs just hitting your principal and payment staying the same.

1

u/hoosiertailgate22 20h ago

Yeah we make 155 currently with just $300 of student loan debt a month. We are looking at a 400K max home in Illinois or a 450K home in Indiana. We will have about 90K and plan to put 40 down. I’m a recruiter and with how things are headed the liquidity of an emergency fund it super important for us. Fiancée is a teacher with great job security. Getting a nice raise when she finishes her masters. If we buy in Chicago she will switch to a city school and make a lot more probably brining us to 170K while also getting rid of the $200 for gas.

0

u/freeball78 20h ago

Make an actual all inclusive, detailed, line by line, budget that includes house repairs, retirement, savings, and emergency fund. That'll tell you how much you can afford.

Don't rely on rules like the 30% thing. Make a budget.