How Can I Save Enough Money To Save For A Mortgage Down Payment?

December 09th, 2007 Comments(0)

Ideas To Save For A Down Payment

In order to acquire a mortgage loan to finance the purchase of a property, you need to have sufficient cash to pay for the down payment. The usual rule has been a minimum of 10 percent of the property purchase price as a down payment.

Although the dollar value of a down payment is relatively high, obtaining the funds for it is not beyond reach. If you have the will power, there are ways in which you can save adequate funds to make that down payment for the property you desire.

If you are determined enough to get what you want, you most likely will. With determination comes motivation for you to save, limited only by the size of your paycheck and your dreams.

Make one savings account your “Down Payment Goal” and any extra cash, coins, money from presents, raises, taxes, part-time jobs, paid off debts, etc. go directly into that account.

One good way to put money aside is never to see it. You can have it automatically transferred to your ‘special’ account. With this, you will be certain that you will not be tempted to spend it and will not physically have to deal with it.

Make your money work harder for you. Put your money into a certificate with a higher interest yield. Also, your money will be tied down and you will not be able to withdraw it without a penalty, thus less tempted to take it out.

If you have been paying monthly installments for your car loan, credit cards or your education loan and have paid off one of these loans, continue paying yourself now the same amount. You will be living on the same funds, yet the money from the old bill will now go into your “Down Payment Goal” account.

Other Options If You Do Not Have Money For A Down Payment

Today is a frustrating time for people trying to purchase a home or for those in the mortgage business. There are now strategies for people who have money saved for down payments and other strategies for people who are practically broke.

There are so many plans now that have been developed; we shall only mention a few. It would be best to ask your realtor to explain what would be best for you.

No down payment loans have the disadvantage of requiring costly mortgage insurance. You can avoid this by getting a “piggyback loan”: a home equity loan that piggybacks on top of a primary mortgage.

The payment on the second mortgage equals what would have been the cost of mortgage insurance and the buyer can deduct the interest on their income taxes. These loans have zoomed in popularity in the past few years.

Another program is the Home Solution program where the seller ultimately contributes 3 percent for the down payment.

The home’s seller “donates” 3 percent of the home’s sale price to the nonprofit program, plus a fee. The nonprofit program then gives the buyer that 3 percent at closing, (used as a money gift which is accepted by the Federal Housing Administration) with the money serving as the down payment.

So, if there is a will there is truly a way.

How Much Money To Set Aside Monthly For College Funds

October 26th, 2007 Comments(0)

Saving For College As A Youth

Don’t take on “impossibly huge” saving goals. Instead, plan on saving one-third of the college cost beforehand, advises Robert Franck, chief college expert at the Princeton Review, the well-known college advisory service.

Author Mark Kantrowitz, creator of the widely acclaimed FinAid.org Web site, interprets the one third rule this way: “You should expect to save one-third of the anticipated college costs, pay one-third from current income and financial aid during the college years.

And then you should borrow one-third using a combination of parent and student loans.” Financial advisers also suggest that kids contribute, saving large monetary gifts or a portion of their earnings from part-time jobs.

When your child is in the ninth or 10th grade, sit down for a talk about college and the financial picture. Students need to understand what it takes to get them through college.

Seek financial aid, scholarships, grants or other assistance, but don’t over estimate what you’ll get. The good news is that more than half of all students receive some kind of financial aid according to the College Board.

All aid and scholarship options should be researched and pursued if appropriate, the experts say, but parents should not assume that this aid will be easily available.

To sum it up: one third saved before college, one third from current income and financial aid, and one third from parent and student loans.

Saving For College Now You Are There

The best way to budget money is to try and figure out how much money you have for the school year (estimate), and divide it by the number of weeks you will be in school for the year, or you could even divide it by semester or quarters.

This is the more precise way to budget money. Then make a list of everything you spend money on for the first month. From there you will have more of a blueprint of how you want to develop and set aside monthly funds.

The biggest tip to earn money to be able to work with and budget is to work, work, work, during summer vacation and breaks from school! Save most of the money you make, and then when the school year starts you will know where the monthly money goes with your previous made budget.

You may not even need to have a job during the school year if you make enough money in the summer to budget out and support all of your monetary needs.

Overall, figure out where you will be getting money from each month, or in some cases every semester or quarter, and disburse it accordingly. For example, some students get money from financial aid, parents, jobs and loans. The first year is the most challenging.

Think of everything you will need to pay for, from insurance and school bills, to cell phone bills and groceries. Once you can see everything on paper, you will be able to figure out if the money you have to work with every month will be enough for you to survive on.

Each month becomes easier for you to know exactly how much money is needed to set aside due to the draft or budget you have kept prior.