We’d like to own a home someday. Where does buying a house fit in to your baby steps plan?
Published at | Updated atDear Dave,
We’d like to own a home someday, but we know we’re not ready for that kind of financial commitment yet. Where does buying a house fit in your Baby Steps plan?
Heather
Dear Heather,
Buying a home when you’re broke is the easiest way I know to become a foreclosure statistic. I’m glad you two are being thoughtful and sensible about taking such a big step.
In Baby Step 1, I advise people to save up for a beginner emergency fund of $1,000. Baby Step 2 is paying off all consumer debt from smallest to largest using the debt snowball method. Then, Baby Step 3 is where you go back and grow your emergency fund to a full three to six months of living expenses.
With all this in mind, let’s call getting ready to buy a home Baby Step 3b. Save up for a down payment of at least 20% to avoid PMI (private mortgage insurance). Also, make sure any mortgage loan is a 15-year, fixed-rate loan, where the payments are no more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay.
Doing it this way may delay your dream of being a homeowner for a while, but it will help ensure your new home is a blessing and not a financial curse!
—Dave
Dear Dave,
How far in advance do you recommend figuring future purchases into your budget?
Robbie
Dear Robbie,
I recommend starting to put money aside and including it in your budget as soon as you know the need for an item is a real possibility. Waiting until things go wrong or something breaks down will leave you in a real mess, more times than not.
For example, if you’re pretty sure you’ll need another vehicle in a year or two, the smart thing is to start putting money aside now. Do some research on prices, then do the math to see how much you’ll need to set aside each month.
And remember, it’s a whole lot easier to save money when you don’t have things like credit card payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s one of the big reasons I want to help people learn to live debt-free!
—Dave
Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored several best-selling books, including "The Total Money Makeover." The Ramsey Show is heard by more than 16 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.