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Establish good credit habits and a favorable credit history. Get a credit card and use it responsibly. Apply for an auto loan and make your payments on time every month. Always pay your rent and any other debts on time.
It is never too early to begin saving for a downpayment and closing costs. It is possible to purchase a home for low or no money down, but the more you save up and put down, the lower the monthly payment will be. Also lenders who see a habit of saving money every month act more favorably toward approving you mortgage. In many cases a buyer who has a pattern of saving can get a loan at a lower interest rate.
Mortgage companies use something called qualifying ratios to determine how much they'll lend you. Most mortgage companies use either a 28/36 ratio or a 25/33 ratio. The first number in each pair is the percentage of your gross income that the lender would consider acceptable as a monthly mortgage payment. (i.e. if you make $3,000 per month, 28% of that is $840 per month.)
The second number in each pair is used when all debt payments are considered, not just the mortgage. (i.e. if you make $3,000 per month, but also have a $250 a month car payment, 36% of $3,000 is $1,080, minus the $250 car payment equals $830.) As you can see, in this example the numbers work out to be almost the same. Obviously if you have more debt you would qualify for less.
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