My opinion is based on having absolutely no experience in home buying while making the greatest attempt possible to be optimistic about my future in the Bay Area.
My opinion is based on having absolutely no experience in home buying while making the greatest attempt possible to be optimistic about my future in the Bay Area.
$200K a year works out at around $11K/month after tax.
15% on a $1.2M home is $180K - even by your estimations that's 6-18 years savings.
So a $1.02M loan over 30 years... 1.1% property tax, 0.5% PMI, 4% interest...
You're looking at a $6,000 mortgage payment (www.mortgagecalculator.org).
Yes, frugal living says you could manage that at 200K.
Your mortgage originator is not even remotely, no matter how convincing you are, going to underwrite a loan with a mortgage payment of 55% of your after tax income.
At 130K, no. That's 85% of your paycheck going to mortgage.
Not in 2016 at least.