Anthony Lester Fresno Shares the Top Effective Ways to Save Money for a House
Saving up enough to buy a home can feel impossible. But with a solid saving plan, anyone can put away enough for a down payment on the home of their dreams. There are several simple strategies you can use to make saving for a home a little easier.
Today, Anthony Lester Fresno shows you some tips and tricks you can use to save for a down payment on your future home. You Must Determine How Much to Save for Your Down Payment some potential homebuyers believe they’ll never be able to buy a home because they can’t afford a 20% down payment. The truth is that many lenders no longer require 20% down. Home Affordability if you’re just beginning your home buying journey, a great place to start is figuring out how much home you can afford. Once you take this into consideration, you’ll be
able to get a realistic expectation of what your down payment could be. Let’s begin the discussion, How to Save Money for A House 1.
Build a Better Budget
The first step in the saving process is budgeting. If you don’t know where your money goes every month, it’s impossible to divert money to your down payment. First, sit down with your bank statements and all your credit card payments. Look at where you’re spending the most money. Note how much you spend on necessities like rent, student loan payments and utilities. Then consider how much you spend each month in nonessentials like entertainment, restaurants, etc. After you categorize your expenses, look for areas where you can cut back. Set a definite (yet realistic) budget for each category and stick to it. Make sure you budget a certain dollar amount to put away for your down payment each month. Consider your savings a non-optional expense. 2. Consider Downsizing One fast way to save more money toward a down payment is downsizing. Downsizing is the process of reducing your expenses and living below your means while you save. When you downsize, you reduce the amount you pay for necessary expenses and instead divert that extra money into a savings account. Moving into a smaller apartment, selling one of your family’s extra vehicles or moving to a more affordable area are all great ways to downsize. Many people downsize while they save for a major purchase. You may find that you enjoy the simple life. 3. Reduce or Cut out a Bad Habit Reducing or entirely cutting a single bad habit can help you put away hundreds of dollars a year. Consider quitting these unhealthy habits and divert the money to your down payment fund. 4. Ask For a Raise Do you have little money left over to save after you get paid? It might be time to ask for a raise. Use these tips to increase your chance of success. Time it right: Timing your salary conversation is the best way to set you up for success. Avoid asking your manager for a meeting during a hectic project or when
time is at a premium. The best time to ask for a raise is during your annual performance review – but during the weeks after completing a big project is also an excellent choice. Come prepared: Never walk into a salary discussion unprepared. Gather specific performance data and results from the projects you’ve worked on. Lay out exactly how busy you’ve been and what you’ve been working on. It’ll help show your manager that they can’t afford to lose you. Be confident but grateful: Your attitude during your salary discussion meeting is just as important as what you say. Be confident in what you’re asking but also grateful and enthusiastic. Let your manager know that you envision yourself growing with your company and that you’re excited to take on more responsibilities.
5. See What Other Employment Options Are Out There Switching jobs and landing a higher-paying salary can help you save money for your down payment. Browse job posting sites and salary comparison websites to see if you earn as much money as people who work in similar roles. If you discover your salary is below average, consider using your findings as leverage to ask for a raise or inquire about a promotion at work.
If you aren’t in love with your job or you can’t get a raise, consider searching for higher-paying positions you qualify for. 6. Skip A Vacation Exploring a new destination can be an amazing experience. Unfortunately, it’s also often an expensive one. The average family of four spends about $4,500 on vacation – that’s a big chunk of cash. Consider storing that money for a down payment and enjoy a satiation in your city instead. 7. Chop down Your Debt If you’re on a mission to buy a home, diverting your extra income toward your debt
might seem counterintuitive. However, one of the first things lenders look for when they consider you as a mortgage candidate is your debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The more debt you have, the less favorable you are as a candidate. This can mean that you’ll pay more in interest and have a higher down payment requirement. Take some time to reduce your debt before you apply for a mortgage loan. Look at exactly how much you owe on your credit cards, student loans, personal loans and auto loans, and create a plan to tackle it. 8. Rent out Your Spare Room or Parking Space Do you have an extra bedroom in your apartment? If you do, consider listing it on an online hospitality website like Airbnb. With Airbnb, you get to control who uses your space and when. You can approve dates and guests ahead of time and only rent out your spare room when it’s convenient. You can even block out dates when your rental isn’t available if you have a friend or family member coming for a visit. If you live in an urban area where parking is at a premium, consider renting out any of your assigned parking. 10. Ask For Help There’s no shame in asking for help, especially when you’re saving up for something as large as a down payment on a home. More and more homebuyers are crowdsourcing their down payments through websites and apps. You may want to ask relatives and friends to skip physical gifts on holidays and special occasions in lieu of money. This is becoming more common practice at events like weddings and baby showers. 11. Automate Your Savings If you’re the type of person who’s prone to impulse shopping, you may want to consider automating your savings. Here’s how it works: first, decide how much you want to save per month for your down payment. Contact your bank and authorize an automatic withdrawal from your primary account into a separate savings account. Your bank will automatically take money out of your account each month and put it into a separate account. This can be useful for people who have trouble managing their money. When you make your money less accessible, you may be less tempted to buy things you don’t
need. Just remember to schedule your withdrawal on your payday or when you know you’ll have enough money. Overdraft fees can put a serious dent in your down payment fund.
Final thoughts If you want to save for a house, you should have a solid plan in place. But first, make sure you know how much you need for the down payment. Though many people believe they need a 20% down payment to buy a home, it’s actually possible to buy a house with as little as 3% down. In other words, There are plenty of ways you can save money for a down payment. Start by creating a budget for your household that includes saving a certain amount of money every month for your down payment.
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