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Cash Requirements
The savings and cash you currently have available can be used to support your up-front payments such
as the closing costs and down payment for your home. Consider what savings and cash you will have left after paying your up-front
costs to support non housing-related expenses and emergencies (i.e. unexpected car repairs, credit card payments, car loans).
Most lenders prefer that homeowners have three months of living expenses available after closing on the loan. The up-front
cash requirements include:
- Closing Costs - You need to pay these up-front costs when you close on your home. Closing costs generally depend on
the location of the house and the type of loan program. There are opportunities to negotiate closing cost expenses with the
seller and lender. Furthermore, there are opportunities to finance some portion of the closing costs as part of the loan amount.
- Down Payment - This percentage of the sale price must be paid up-front and can vary by lender, location, and loan
program. A higher down payment generally translates into lower loan interest rate requirements. While conventional loan down
payments may be close to 20% of the sale price, government loans typically have lower down payment requirements, as low as
3.5%. This allows potential homebuyers who normally cannot meet down payment requirements an opportunity to qualify for a
mortgage. Keep in mind that down payments that are less than 20% of the sale price typically require mortgage insurance payments.
Example: With an annual income of $45,000 and monthly debt totaling $400, this homebuyer may qualify
for different loan programs based on a 30-year fixed rate loan with an interest rate of 6.25%. (The results below are a rough
estimate and do not reflect all factors included in the loan qualification calculation.)
| |
FHA |
VA |
Conventional |
| Home Sale Price |
$ 200,000 |
$ 200,000 |
$200,000 |
| Down Payment |
$ 7000 |
$ 0 |
$ 20000 |
| |
|
|
|
| Total Monthly Payment (P&I) |
$1,089 |
$ 1,087 |
$1,025 |
These results show that the homebuyer can qualify for approximately the same home price for either
an FHA or conventional loan. However, there's a big difference in down payment and up-front cash requirements for government
loans versus conventional loans. The down payment requirement for the FHA loan is $7,000, approximately 3.5% of the maximum
loan amount. To purchase a house with the same price using a conventional loan, the down payment requirements would total
$20,000. A veteran with the same income may qualify for a higher home price with no down payment.
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Allowable Sources for Down Payment
Most people don't have much money to put toward down payment costs for a home. Here are possible solutions
to a common cash problem: (Please consult your TeacherDough.com counselor to see if the solutions below are acceptable
for your loan situation.)
- Co-Borrower - Income or additional funds from a spouse may provide additional funds to support
the down payment costs. Consider whether a roommate or co-dweller can relieve the financial burden.
- Gifts - Monetary gifts from family members can support your down payment requirements since
no funds repayment is required.
- Inheritance/Trust Funds - Inherited money from family members or from a trust fund are also
acceptable sources of down payment since no funds repayment is required.
- Borrowing/Loan - Monetary support from friends or relatives can be another solution.
- Retirement Funds - Some retirement funds like the 401K plans may allow you to borrow a certain
percentage from your retirement fund. Check with your local lenders to see if they allow homebuyers to borrow against their
retirement funds. Note: Borrowing against your 401K plan requires that you repay the amount; therefore, when lenders calculate
your loan qualifications, they will add your 401K repayments in calculating your monthly payments.
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