How Much Home Can You Afford?

 

An experienced homeowner knows the price of the house is not the only cost to consider when buying a new home.  Here we present other additional costs that will help any future buyer to assess how much house he/she can afford:

 

• Utility Payments ­
  A homebuyer can always ask a seller to show him some recent utility bills.  Although every family uses utilities in its own way, the recent bill always gives a homebuyer an idea about his/her future payments.

 

• Up-front Costs Appraisal Fee ­
  If requested by your mortgage company you will need to have an appraisal done on the property you plan to buy. Cost: Approximately $300

 

• Deposit
  If you offer to purchase a property you may need to put down a deposit.  Cost: around 5% of the purchase price

 

• Down Payment ­
  Conventional mortgages vary, but most usually require 10-20% of the purchase price.

 

• Home Inspection ­
  The price of the house inspection depends on the size of the house.  Cost: usually between $300 and $500.

 

•  Legal Fees and Disbursements ­
  This fee is usually paid at closing. Cost: Approximately $500

 

• Property Insurance
  It is paid to cover the costs of replacing the structure. It protects the homeowner and the mortgage lender, since the property is security for the mortgage.

 

• Property Survey ­
  May be required by the mortgage lender. Cost: Approximately $300

 

Other costs are: gardening equipment, decorating materials, moving expenses, hookup fees, window treatments.

 

Before deciding how much house you can afford consider all the costs above to avoid ending up “house poor” and enjoy living in your new home.