Student loans can sometimes damper your plans to buy a house, but they aren’t a reason to give up on your dream. The key is understanding what lenders look for and how to make the most of your qualifying factors.
Manage your Other Debts
If you have other consumer debts, try paying them down or off as quickly as possible. Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio.
Consolidate Federal Loans
When you do this, you might be eligible for payment plans, such as Income-Based Repayment, which bases your student loan payment on your income, keeping it affordable.
Save for a Higher Down Payment
If your DTI is high, try saving money for a higher down payment. The more money you invest in the home, the less risk the lender takes.
Consolidate Other Debts
If you have good credit, try to consolidate your other debts into one loan to lower your payments. For example, you may consolidate your credit card debt onto a 0% APR credit card or consolidate other consumer debt into a personal loan.
Seller Tip: Set a timeline for selling your home
Selling a home is a major undertaking that can take weeks — or sometimes longer to prepare, depending on local market conditions and the level of inventory available.
As soon as you decide to sell your home
Jump right into researching local real estate agents to find someone with the right experience for your needs.
Before you plan to list
Consider getting a pre-sale home inspection to identify any problem areas, especially structural or mechanical issues that might need addressing to facilitate a sale. Leave enough time to schedule necessary repairs.
About a month before listing your home
Start working on staging and deep cleaning in preparation for taking photos.
