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Personal Finance (Not Investing) • 26 years old thinking to buy first home. Can I afford a home?

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Greetings

Age 26 Single, no loans and debts, maximizing 401K and IRA every year. Credit score around 800 per my bank .

Salary - $163K. Additionally I have sign on bonus that is remaining $7K/month for the next 22 months.

401K - $144K

Vanguard - $52K (Brokerage, IRA/Roth)

Cash - $120K

I am sharing a condo and my monthly rent is $1000 (utilities included) and my expenses are basic living expenses. I drive a 2019 Camry with 65K miles and it is in excellent condition and well maintained.

I am thinking to buy a home (or a condo) in a $500K- $600K range. I am also thinking to buy a used $40K-$45K car. My only thinking to buy a car is enjoy a car like Toyota Supra while I am single and keep Camry as a daily driver.

My thinking is to buy a home and rent out 2 bedrooms as there are lots of single tech people in my city.

I am new to home buying scenario and I am trying to learn all this on my own.

So, the first question is can I afford a home? And how much mortgage should I afford?

Should I wait for interest rates to drop and buy early next year when there are more homes in the market? Or perhaps I should wait to buy a car?
Or should I save more to pay 20% downpayment instead of taking an 80/20 mortgage?

I have figured out my budget for home as such (Condos have high HOA).

Fixed Expenses for home – Mortgage, HOA, Property Taxes, Home Insurance, Liability Insurance for having renters (would that be required?)

Semi Fixed Expenses – Utilities and maintenance costs

Assuming I buy a 3 bedroom home and take a $500K (10% down) mortgage at 6.5% for 30 years, my monthly mortgage will be $3,160/month. And If I furnish two bedrooms and change $1000 rent/bedroom, I should be able to lower my mortgage costs.

I am still in process of interviewing realtors (some want me to sign a contract right away). And in Texas, the laws have changed and the seller does not have to pay 3% to the buyer’s agent. The new law just started this month, and the real estate market does not understand how it is going to play.

I have been reading only online about home buying process and here at the forum as well.

Any thoughts, recommendations to avoid any pitfalls would be much appreciated regarding selecting a realtor, comparing comps, making offers, getting pre-approved and locking an interest rate.

Many thanks and regards for sharing your wisdom.

Statistics: Posted by AB2020 — Mon Aug 12, 2024 8:38 am — Replies 18 — Views 666



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