Congrats on the condo—that’s an exciting step. On average, you’ll need to put down at least 10% of the purchase price, although a down payment can be as low as 3% or as high as 20%.
A down payment is a lump sum payment of a condos’ total purchase price. The rest of the condo will be financed through your mortgage. The higher your down payment, the less you’ll need to borrow, which will save you money on interest in the long run.
For lower down payments—like one between 0% and 3.5%—you’ll likely need to get a specialty loan, either from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or the Veterans Association (VA). Many states have programs to help first-time homebuyers, especially those buying in specific areas.
Another important part of your budget when buying property is insurance. If you want to save money on home, renters, or car insurance, the Jerry
app is a good place to start. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new home or renters insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy. And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price. This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.