I recommend NOT maxing yourself out. You are young. Your greatest earning power is TIME. Meaning, if you are smart, you will invest money when you are young, and it will grow to lots of money over the years. Don’t be putting all of your money into a house. Get something you can eaily afford. Then enjoy life, but also save and invest. You will be much happier and not have debt stress.
Everyone telling you to get the most you can afford are the banks, realtors and if they aren’t going to make money off you, then they are just stupid.
My wife and I paid extra and paid our home off in ten years. We bought in 97 and it only cost $155K (bottom of a bust cycle in housing). We are on the east coast. County now assess our home at $300K. We saved more than $100K in interest by paying off our home early. Now, we take what was our mortgage and invest the money. I never understand why people pay the bank $10K in interest so they won’t have to pay the IRS $3K in taxes. If you think about it, every institution wants you to pay into the system to keep it afloat.
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Zero debt and paid for house.
