Home buyers might feel better to know that they're not the only ones who feel confused about the process of buying a home.The first step to buying a home is getting your financing in order. Feel free to use our resources to research your mortgage questions. How much can you afford? What is a realistic down payment? There are various important aspects to financing that will affect your buying experience whether you are a first time buyer, or thinking about purchasing an investment property.


You can save yourself a lot of wheel-spinning if you take a minute to figure out how much mortgage you can afford. Generally, a lender will want your monthly mortgage payment to total no more than 29% of your monthly gross income (that's your monthly income before taxes and other paycheck deductions are taken out.) You also need to consider current loan interest rates. The lower the interest rate, the more expensive the home you'll be able to afford. Follow our tips and use these simple calculators to see how much you can afford in a mortgage payment.