That left them with for emergencies and furniture. They realized they didn't need a "perfect" 20% down payment to start their lives; they just needed enough to be "house-safe."
Are you a ? (This often unlocks lower down payment options).
Sarah insisted they keep $10,000 in the bank after the purchase. "Houses break the moment you move in," she warned. "You’ll need a lawnmower, curtains, and a plumber for that leak you didn't see during the walkthrough." The Decision how much money do you need to buy a house
This was their biggest hurdle. To avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI), they wanted 20%, which on a $400,000 home was $80,000. Sarah pointed out they could put down as little as 3.5% ($14,000) with an FHA loan, but their monthly payments would be higher.
Their real estate agent, Sarah, had broken it down for them the day before. It wasn’t just about the price tag on the house; it was about the "hidden" layers of cash required to actually get the keys. The Three Layers of Cash That left them with for emergencies and furniture
Leo and Mia sat at their kitchen table, surrounded by takeout boxes and a laptop screen glowing with Zillow listings. They had been "saving for a house" for three years, but every time they looked at the numbers, the goalposts seemed to move.
This was the surprise. Sarah told them to set aside another 2% to 5% of the home purchase price. For a $400,000 home, that meant an extra $8,000 to $20,000 for taxes, lender fees, and title insurance. Sarah insisted they keep $10,000 in the bank
They closed on a modest cottage two months later. It wasn't the mansion they'd imagined, but it was theirs—and they still had enough money left over to fix the water heater when it gave out three weeks after move-in.