How to Plan Your Savings for a Down Payment on a Home

You must plan how to save for a down payment if you want to purchase a property. Most lenders want at least a small down payment of funds. But how do you begin setting aside that much cash for a house purchase? These saving suggestions for a down payment will be beneficial.

How to start a down payment fund:

Saving for a down payment can be difficult, regardless of whether you need a first-time home buyers guide or have a lot of experience in the real estate market. Here are seven actions you can do to make sure you have enough money to buy a house.

Set a savings goal as the first step:

Before you know how much money you’ll actually need to put down on a property, you can start saving for a down payment. That is impacted by a variety of circumstances, including:

The cost of purchase:

Since the amount you must put down is often determined as a percentage of your loan value, you will need a greater down payment if you purchase a property that costs more money. For instance, if you put 20% down on a $100,000 home, you would need a down payment of $20,000, however if you put 20% down on a $200,000 home, you would need a down payment of $40,000.

Lender specifications:

Different lenders have different requirements for minimum down payments, however some let you put down as little as 0% to 3% while others insist on a minimum of 20% or more. The top mortgage companies for first-time home purchasers are frequently more open to requiring a smaller down payment.

Mortgage protection:

If you put down a tiny down payment, mortgage insurance shields the lender from losses in a foreclosure, but you have to pay for it and it raises your monthly expenses. For more information on how this insurance functions, see our guide to mortgage insurance.

When you want to buy a house.

You can determine how much money you’ll need to save each month by using your timetable for purchases.

Step 2: Calculations should account for closing fees:

You should save aside money for closing charges that your lender might impose in addition to a down payment. When your loan closes, you must pay these in full. They can increase the value of your house by 2% to 5%.

You may be able to incorporate closing fees into your loan with some mortgage lenders. But by doing this, you’re taking out even more debt. As a result, if you decide to bundle closing expenses into your loan, it could be more difficult to get accepted for a mortgage. Since you’ll be paying interest on them, this could also cause your closing costs to increase in price over time.

Step 3: Select the account where your down payment should be kept.

Saving money for a down payment takes time. You must store the funds in a secure location until you are ready to make a purchase in order to accomplish your savings target. You don’t want to take the chance of losing money on a stock market investment. This is particularly valid if you’re planning to buy a house shortly.

Your down payment is frequently best placed in a high-yield savings account. These accounts provide you greater access to your savings and pay you more interest than standard checking or savings accounts. Additionally, as long as your bank is FDIC insured, there is no chance of losing your savings.

Additionally, you might investigate other risk-free investment options, such certificates of deposit (also known as “CDs”). Visit our guide if you’ve never heard of CDs: A CD is what?

If you choose to invest in a CD, compare the interest rates offered to those offered by high-yield savings accounts by shopping around for the best CD rates. Be warned, nevertheless, that CDs have stringent withdrawal restrictions. Unless you pay a fee, you might not be able to get to your money right away when you need it.

Step 4: Establish a timeframe for completing your mission.

The amount of money you should set aside each month to accumulate the required down payment depends on when you intend to buy your home. For instance:

1. Saving $1,923.08 a month for a $50,000 down payment is required if you want to buy a home in two years.
2. You would need to put aside $833.33 every month to save the $50,000 down payment necessary to buy a home in five years.

Step 6: Configure automatic deposits into your account:

Automate the procedure once you’ve discovered space in your budget for savings. On payday, have the desired amount automatically deducted from your bank account. Instead of depositing it into your checking account, where you might be more prone to spend it, arrange to have it directly placed into your down payment account.

Step 7: Monitor your development:

Keep an eye on the development of your down payment fund. Make sure your monthly contributions remain on schedule.

As you watch your bank account grow, this keeps you motivated. If you aren’t saving enough, it can also assist you adjust your direction. You might choose to make additional budget cuts if you feel there hasn’t been enough progress. Or you might think about taking up a side job and saving the extra money.