Except for Veterans Administration loans, 一般来说，买房还是需要预付一些现金. 你需要预付多少现金取决于抵押贷款的类型(无论是联邦住房管理局还是传统的)和你的个人财务状况. 不过，你的信用越好，贷款人通常期望的首付款就越低.
How much will you need to save? 如果你正在申请联邦住房管理局贷款，你的FICO评分在500到579之间, plan on a 10% down payment or more. 如果你的分数是580分或更高，你可能有资格获得3分.5% down mortgage.
传统的抵押贷款往往有更高的首付要求. 当你的FICO分数在680左右时，你就开始有竞争力获得5%的首付抵押贷款, though lenders vary widely in practice. However, to save on private mortgage insurance costs (PMI), you may want to go with a VA loan, if you qualify, or save up 20%.
So, what’s the best way to go about saving that money? Here are the factors to keep in mind:
Safety. Unless you are planning to wait years to buy your home, you don’t want to take a lot of risk with this money. 希望你能在一两年内存够首付款. 冒着巨大的市场损失的风险，放弃你拥有住房的梦想是没有意义的.
Liquidity. You don’t want to lock this money up for years. You want to be able to access your money quickly and cheaply.
Returns. You want to get a reasonable return, or yield, on your money. 但不要为了收益而牺牲安全，如果这意味着拿你的置业目标冒险的话.
A guarantee. Investments carry risk. But some financial vehicles come with an in-writing guarantee. 例子包括支票和储蓄账户的余额以及信用合作社的股票储蓄凭证, which come with a guarantee of up to $250,000 in the event the credit union becomes insolvent. 十大网投官方入口通过联邦存款保险公司有一个典型的安排.
So where should you put your money? 以下是一些经受住时间考验的常见选择，以及它们各自的优缺点.
Cash. You can stuff cash in a mattress or coffee can. This is convenient, but not very secure. 你的钱可能会受到盗窃、水灾、火灾或损失的威胁. It also generates no return whatsoever.
Checking or savings accounts. 这些通常会产生很小的回报，但至少是有回报的. They are, however, very convenient, 如果你很自律，不把指定用于首付的钱花掉. If your savings is very small, 把它留在这里，而不是支付费用来维持一个低余额账户，可能是有意义的. These are guaranteed against bank failures up to $250,000 per account holder, 要么来自联邦存款保险公司(FDIC)(针对十大网投官方入口)，要么来自国家信用合作社股份保险基金, or NCUSIF. 因为信用合作社是由像你一样的存款人共同拥有的, 从长远来看，你经常可以通过信用合作社获得更好的交易.
存单(在信用合作社也被称为“股份储蓄存单”). 这些通常比支票或储蓄账户支付更高的收益, and also qualify for federal insurance coverage. 然而，他们确实要求你在一段特定的时间内把钱存起来. 提前提款的罚金通常相当于6个月的利息.
Money markets. This is a type of mutual fund that’s made up of low-risk, 短期债券和商业票据，旨在维持每股每天1美元的稳定价格. 总的来说，从历史上看，他们能够做到这一点，尽管没有保证. 它们可能提供比担保账户更高的收益，而且不需要时间承诺. 然而，你的货币市场有可能会亏损. Some financial institutions do offer insured money markets.
Other Options
Permanent life insurance. If you own a permanent life insurance policy, such as a whole life policy, it accumulates cash value over time. 终身寿险和资金充足的万能寿险政策可以成为储蓄者的有效工具——特别是因为终身寿险的现金价值得到了保证的信用评级，并且只要你按时支付保费，就保证永远不会贬值.
Individual Retirement Arrangements. 你可以从你的个人退休账户中提取高达1万美元来支付房屋的首付款，而不会受到惩罚. 对于传统的个人退休账户，你需要为任何这样的提款支付所得税.
Thrift Savings Program. 如果你是联邦雇员或美国军人, the Thrift Savings Program, or TSP, 允许您以优惠的条件借钱来支付房屋的首付款. For more information, visit www.tsp.gov.
401(k) Loans. Some employers allow you to borrow from your 401(k). Typically, 你需要在五年内偿还贷款，否则将面临任何剩余余额的税收和罚款. However, if you leave your employer, 你必须立即偿还贷款，否则你将面临税收和罚款. 这使得长期使用401(k)贷款变得棘手，尤其是在就业前景不确定的情况下.
Bonus: 另一个很好的建议是开始节省你预期的每月抵押贷款金额. If you can comfortably save this much, 然后你知道你将能够负担每月的抵押贷款，你可以迅速建立一个储备金，为你的新房子的存款.
无论你选择什么工具来积累你的储蓄, your credit union is ready to assist. 无论你是第一次买房还是购买土地来建造你的梦想家园, we can help you get there. 我们的房屋贷款专家团队将指导您完成整个过程，以确保您在需要时拥有所需的东西. Schedule an appointment today.
