WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD?

If you are wondering how much of a home you can afford, use this pre-qualifier calculator to give you an estimate of what you can afford.  You can also use these Mortgage Calculators to give you an idea of your monthly mortgage payment and possible tax deductions associated with owning a home.  Finally, to make sure you are getting the best rates from your lender, you will want to check out the current rates for the state of Minnesota at Provident.com (make sure you change the state to MN).  This is a mortgage company that is a direct lender and they can be a bear to deal with, so I don't advise you go directly through them, but many mortgage brokers and lenders can offer programs through them and at rates just 1/4 point or so higher.  Take note if the rate you are looking at requires you to pay any, "points," so you are sure you are comparing apples to apples and just use this website as a way to gauge the current market rates on various loan type, but keep in mind that Provident is an A+ lender which means these rates assume 720-740+ credit scores and solid income, so your rates may be different giving your situation.