[quote author="PANDA" date=1242974136]What would be a good guideline to follow in terms of the home one can comfortably afford?
24 mentioned:
$150,000 gross $150,000 down $450,000 mortgage = You should be living in a $600,000. house
$300,000 gross $250,000 down $640,000 mortgage = You should be living in a $890,000 house
What should be one's gross and downpayment savings be to comfortably afford a $1M house in Irvine compared to a $500,000 house?
I am so glad that i am married to the younger sister and not the older sister. whew! Egg, Don't do it! You need to set your woman straight and let her know, "I love you, but I ain't going to be pushed around no more."</blockquote>
To afford a $1mm home you should have $1mm in cash and buy the home for cash so that you can use your income to pay property taxes, HOA, Mello Roos, maintanence, gardener, larger utility bills, etc.
I am not being facetious. I am dead serious.
Pay property taxes every other year and donate to charity the same every other year for tax deduction purposes if you buy with cash. Itemize every other year and take the standard deduction every <strong>other</strong> year.