How much you need for a down payment?

by Steven Axford

What is a minimum down payment

A down payment is the amount of money you put towards the purchase of a home. Your lender deducts the down payment from the purchase price of your home. Your mortgage covers the rest of the price of the home.

The minimum amount you need for your down payment depends on the purchase price of the home.

If your down payment is less than 20% of the price of your home, you’ll typically need to buy mortgage loan insurance.

Table 1: The minimum down payment based on the purchase price of your home
Purchase price of your home	Minimum amount of down payment
$500,000 or less	5% of the purchase price
$500,000 to $999,999	5% of the first $500,000 of the purchase price 10% for the portion of the purchase price above $500,000
$1 million or more	20% of the purchase price If you’re self-employed or have a poor credit history, your lender may require a larger down payment. Normally, the minimum down payment must come from your own funds. It’s better to save for a down payment and minimize your debts.