|
Many home buyers today are using funds from their employers
401K account to
make the down payment obligations on a house. Normally, you cant withdraw money from your
401K plan unless you become disabled, leave the company, or retire, but many company plans permit certain "hardship withdrawals" in cases where there may be a need to resolve a heavy financial situation, such as the purchase of a principal residence.
It is important to beware of the caveats of hardship withdrawals. There are taxes and penalties involved on the amount withdrawn from your plan. A better way would be to borrow against your
401K. The interest you pay on the loan goes back into your account, and the money you receive is not taxable as long as its paid back. A
loan from your 401k account is usually at a very good interest rate. This rate will be better than the rate you could get on the second mortgage if you were to try to finance your home purchase with an 80% first mortgage and a 20% second mortgage,
also commonly referred to as an
80/20 combo loan. With the large amounts of
100% financing programs available today you should think twice before tapping into your retirement funds. The money you withdraw from your
401K will cost more over the long run then it may be worth in terms of payment reduction. Always consult a financial planner before making this important decision that can affect your financial future. One thing people don’t consider when taking a loan against their
401k is the "opportunity cost". If it takes you a couple years to repay the funds that time that you are missing out on the opportunity for growth in those investments, this could easily be 10% or more. Not only should you speak to a mortgage professional, but also a retirement specialist as well. He or she should be able to tell you if
pulling money out of your 401k is the best decision for you or not. It's always best to look at something long term rather than short term. This is why talking to a professional would be best. One thing to remember if you are going to take a loan out on your
401k to use for a down payment and/or closing costs is that you will need to document the terms of the loan. Your lender will need to know how much the loan is for, how long the repayment period is and what the monthly payments will be on the loan. This loan will go against your DTI (Debt to Income Ratio). Therefore, have your mortgage broker make sure that you will still qualify for the mortgage loan with this figured into your debt ratio before actually taking the loan out.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding our products, you can contact
us by calling or e-mailing us and we'll get back to you
as soon as possible. Thanks!
Information listed above is to be used for educational purposes only and is not guaranteed
Home | Sitemap | Contact Us | Links | Services | News | About Us | Ohio | Florida | Refinance | Purchases | Fixed-Rates |Blog |Down Payment
| 
