6 Things You Can Do To Afford Your First Downpayment

December 20, 2017
Stacks of coins next to a small wooden house cutout


A house is an expensive asset and most people need to take a loan to be able to afford one. Taking a loan will ease your financial burdens because you get to pay for the house monthly for several years, plus the interest rate for house mortgages are usually lower than other types of loans. ​

However, if you want to take a loan for a house, you’ll have to give the lender a down payment. The amount of money you need to pay as a down payment usually ranges around 3 to 25 percent of the total price of the house.


The higher the down payment, the easier will it be for the bank to release the loan, and the lower your monthly payment will be. It’s not easy to save for a big down payment however, but here are some tips that can help you.



1. Lower your expenses

You can find cheaper alternatives for the things you usually spend on, like internet subscription, cell phone data plan, and transportation to work. You can also reduce your expenses by lowering your electricity and water use.



2. Get a secondary income

Have other sources of income other than your main job. You can work on your day off as a part-timer or as a freelancer, or you can start a small online business. All the money you get from your secondary income can go to the house fund.



3. Eliminate unnecessary expenses

Avoid spending for movie tickets, liquor, cigarettes, eating outside, and similar activities. The amount of money you spend for them may look small at first, but after a while the sum of money you can save by avoiding these spendings will be huge.


4. Don’t spend unexpected or irregular income

You shouldn’t spend on income you get from gifts, bonuses from work, tax refund, winning a lottery, or inheritance. You can use this fund to help pay for your house down payment.



5. Live in a cheaper place

Rent in a smaller apartment in a less commercialized area, or live with your relatives before you can make your house down payment.



6. Allocate less income for retirement funds

Ensuring you have enough money when you get old is really important, and you should consider this as your last option to help you get enough money to make a house down payment.


In the end, you have to always focus on earning more, saving more, and spending less if you want to purchase a house. You may not like it at first, but doing all three will be worth the inconvenience. Aside from the down payment, you also need to have your house insured when taking a mortgage. Selecting the right insurer will be very important because it can help you with unexpected costs that might occur.


At Brad Spurgeon Insurance Agency, we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (409) 945-4746 or Click Here to request a free quote.

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