Frequently Asked Questions about Buying Your First Home
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Lenders look at the overall debt-to-income ratio. They like to see that your monthly housing payment, plus everything on your credit report (including car payment, credit cards, etc.), is not more than 50% of your total gross monthly income (before taxes).

If you want to buy a $100,000 home, the monthly payment will be $1,000. Suppose you also pay another $500 each month in other bills that are on your credit report. That’s a monthly debt of $1,500. You would need to earn about twice that, or $3,000 a month, to qualify for the home loan, typically.

What type of credit do I need to have?

For an FHA loan, which is very popular, buyers generally need to have clean credit for the past 12 months, meaning that payments have been made on time. Many lenders don’t worry about credit problems that took place in the past, as long as the past year is good and clean.

What if I don’t have other loans or credit cards?

The FHA and other lenders are very willing to consider what they call “alternate lines of credit.” That is, any type of payment history that shows that the buyer is able to make regular payments on time. These can include items such as rent, utilities, telephone, car insurance and child-care payments. If a buyer can show clean, 12-month payment histories for at least 3 of these types of alternate lines of credit, that is generally good enough.

About The Author Damon Thomas is a contributor to www.casanuevahouston.com, a Houston-based company providing information for new home buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Buying Your First Home
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Additional Resources

category - Home Buying Programs

Keystone Home Loan PLUS Program
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has constituted the estbalishment of the Keystone Home Loan PLUS Program wherein it aims to offer the lowest PHFA interest rate to first time home buyers in the State of Pennsylvania.

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Homeownership Program for First Time Homebuyers in Connecticut
The Connecticut Housing Finance Agency has established the Homeownership Program wherein it intends to provide reasonable home loans with below-market interest rates to tenants occupying publicly assisted housing who wish to transition from renting into homeownership.

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First Time Homebuyer Programs in Maine
The first time homebuyer programs of MaineHousing are all especially designed to contribute to the achievement of its primary agency mission which is to "assist Maine people to obtain and maintain decent, safe, affordable housing and services suitable to their unique housing needs."

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Grants From the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Iola Bonggay is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs.

She also maintains Websites providing resources on environmental grants and grants for youth programs.

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