If you make $50,000 a year, you may be wondering if you can afford to buy your first house. The good news is it is possible to purchase a home with a $50,000 salary thanks to low down payment loans and mortgage assistance programs.
But your annual salary is not the only factor taken into consideration when purchasing a home. To get the full picture on the financials, you’ll also need to look at current mortgage rates and loan terms before figuring out how much money you’ll be able to put down.
- Here’s how you can buy a house with a $50K salary
- How much house can you afford?
- How to calculate your homebuying budget
- Why your debt-to-income ratio is key
- 8 tips to increase your homebuying budget on $50K a year
- Getting pre-approved can help set your budget
- What are today’s mortgage rates?
Here’s how you can buy a house with a $50K salary
While buying a home on a $50,000 salary is possible, you may not be able to make a dream home purchase until you increase your income — or find a first home within your means. Buying a home is a big commitment. So, while it can be tempting to wait until you find the perfect home, you also have to be realistic about the constraints of your budget
Therefore it can be helpful to make a list of what you “have-to-have” versus what’s “nice-to-have,” and execute your house shopping that way. You’ll focus on checking off your list of essential features while also being mindful of any nice-to-have features that you come across.
From there, you can either look into budgeting tips or a home affordability calculator to see the price range of homes you can comfortably purchase. More on both strategies are coming up below.
If I make $50K a year, how much house can I afford?
As a rule of thumb, someone making $50,000 a year might be able to afford a home loan of anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000. This is because, generally, it’s advisable to spend no more than two to three times your household income on a mortgage. A couple with dual incomes may make more than $50,000 and would, in theory, be able to afford a much larger mortgage.
However, just because you may qualify for a certain mortgage doesn’t necessarily mean you can afford it. It’s important to have a strong understanding of what your monthly living expenses and debt payments add up to before you shop for mortgages. That way, you know how much you can afford to spend on monthly mortgage payments.
This is why lenders take other factors beyond salary into account when determining how much of a mortgage you can afford. Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one factor they heavily consider as it represents how much of your monthly income goes toward debt payments.
Your credit score is also a major factor when it comes to mortgage approval and interest rate. The higher your credit score, the better off you’ll be, as this signals to lenders you’re less of a risk and more likely to pay off your mortgage.
Home affordability by interest rate
The interest rate a mortgage lender offers can affect how much house you can afford — the higher your interest rate, the higher your monthly payments.
The following table outlines how different interest rates can affect how much house you can afford.
| Annual income | Desired monthly payment | Interest rate (30-year fixed) | How much house you can afford |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,300 | 4.5% | $217,900 |
| $50,000 | $1,300 | 4.0% | $228,800 |
| $50,000 | $1,300 | 3.5% | $240,500 |
| $50,000 | $1,300 | 3.25% | $246,600 |
Home affordability by down payment
The bigger the down payment, the less you’ll owe on a home loan, which can make your monthly payment more affordable.
This table illustrates how a larger down payment results in being able to afford a more expensive house while maintaining the same desired monthly payment.
| Annual income | Desired monthly payment | Down payment | How much house you can afford |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,300 | $7,300 (3%) | $234,800 |
| $50,000 | $1,300 | $13,200 (5%) | $263,268 |
| $50,000 | $1,300 | $28,500 (10%) | $285,680 |
Home affordability by debt-to-income ratio
Your DTI ratio can help shed light on how much you can afford to spend on your mortgage payment. When lenders review your DTI, they’re looking for it to be on the low end because it represents how much of your income you spend on current debt payments. If your DTI is high, the lender will worry about how much more debt you can afford to take on.
This table shows how different debt commitments can affect the monthly mortgage payments of someone earning $50,000 a year and how those payments affect how much house they can afford.
| Annual income | Monthly debts | Desired monthly payment | How much house you can afford |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $0 | $1,500 | $270,600 |
| $50,000 | $200 | $1,300 | $234,500 |
| $50,000 | $500 | $1,000 | $180,406 |
How to calculate your homebuying budget on a $50K salary
When planning how much new house you can afford (by taking income, debts, down payment, and monthly expenses into account), it’s important not to forget the other costs that come with homeownership.
For example, you’ll also have to budget for utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and maintenance costs. And depending on your situation, you may also have to pay for mortgage insurance or HOA fees. Since all of these fees can majorly impact your budget, it’s important to take the whole picture into account when calculating how much you can afford to spend.
Why your debt-to-income ratio is key
If your DTI is low, you’ll likely have more room in your budget for mortgage payments. Most mortgage lenders look for a DTI below 43%, but a ratio below 36% is ideal. Increasing your income will lower your DTI, but sometimes that can be difficult. Focusing on paying down as much debt as possible before you apply for a mortgage can help you increase your buying power.
8 tips to increase your homebuying budget on $50K a year
When buying a home, you’ll most likely be competing with other buyers. Here are steps you can take to gain leverage over other buyers when it comes to making an offer.
1. Increase your down payment
If you can afford to, make a down payment that’s larger than the amount your lender requires. A larger down payment lowers your mortgage payments, making it easier to afford the monthly payments on a more expensive house.
2. Pay down your existing debt
If you have extra money in your budget or can cut out some unnecessary expenses, focus on making more than the minimum monthly payments on your existing debts. That way, you can lower your DTI ratio and take some pressure off your monthly budget.
3. Use a piggyback loan to put 20% down
If you can afford to only make a 10% down payment, consider a piggyback loan. It’s essentially a second mortgage for 10% of your home’s purchase price.
Then you use that loan to qualify for a conventional mortgage with a 20% down payment. You’ll still end up borrowing 90% of the home’s purchase price but can save room in your budget by not having to pay mortgage insurance each month.
4. Try a 3% down conventional loan
In some cases, a mortgage is actually more affordable than renting. You can seek out conventional loans that only require a 3% down payment to make getting into a home more affordable. Having a smaller down payment leads to larger mortgage payments, but this type of loan can make homeownership more attainable.
5. Try a 3.5% down FHA loan
If you haven’t been able to save for a large down payment, you can also look into qualifying for an FHA loan that only requires a 3.5% down payment. You can also look into first-time homebuyer programs, which tend to be less strict about down payment amounts.
6. Increase your credit score
To improve your credit score, consistently make on-time bill payments and avoid applying for any new forms of credit. Also, check your credit report for any mistakes that are harming your score, and request they be removed from your report.
7. Negotiate with the seller
While there’s no guarantee the seller will say yes, you can try negotiating a lower sale price — especially if you have the advantage of being in a buyer’s market.
8. Consider buying a multi-family home
When you buy a multi-family home, you can live in one of the units and rent out the others to help generate more income. This strategy can make it easier to afford the unit you’re living in. Depending on the number of units involved and the rents you’re charging, it could mean your mortgage is paid for you.
Pre-approval can inform your home buying budget
Before you seriously start house hunting, it’s a good idea to get pre-approved. When you apply for mortgage pre-approval, the lender will tell you how much money you can likely borrow and what type of loan and interest rate you’ll qualify for.
Essentially, if the credit and income information you provide during this process is accurate, when you go to officially apply, you’ll be approved for similar rates and terms as outlined in your pre-approval letter.
Not only does getting pre-approved help you know what home prices you can afford. It also indicates to sellers that you’re a serious buyer who’d be approved for a mortgage loan quickly.
What are today’s mortgage rates?
Mortgage rates have been rising as of late, but they’re constantly changing. So, it’s important to stay up to date with current mortgage rates when you’re considering how to buy a house.
