Harpreet’s perspective
Real questions. Real properties. Real numbers.
You ask: ‘How much will my mortgage payment be?’ I calculate it. You look happy. Then I say: ‘Okay. Now let's talk about everything else.’ And suddenly I'm less fun.
Your mortgage payment is obviously important. But owning a home costs more than the mortgage. There can be property taxes, home insurance, utilities, maintenance, and condo fees where applicable.
The Expenses Listing Photos Do Not Show
Then there are the expenses nobody puts into the beautiful listing photos: furnace, roof, appliances, plumbing, electrical, and the garage door that worked perfectly for twelve years and somehow sensed that you just spent all your savings on closing costs.
Why I Don't Love Maximum Qualification
Let's say you technically qualify for a $900,000 purchase. Great. But if buying at $900,000 leaves you with almost nothing after the mortgage and household expenses are paid, I want to talk about that.
The lender calculates qualification using lending guidelines. The lender doesn't know that you have three children in hockey, travel twice a year, a vehicle that may need replacing soon, or that your Amazon account has somehow become a dependent. That's why I like discussing comfortable affordability.
What Does the House Actually Cost Every Month?
Let's put everything together: mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, condo fees where applicable, expected maintenance, and other debt payments. Now look at what's left. Can you save? Can you handle an emergency? Can you still enjoy your life?
If yes, beautiful. If not, buying slightly less house may actually give you significantly more life. A mortgage approval should help you buy a home. It shouldn't sentence you to spend the next five years sitting inside it because you can't afford to leave.