Using Your 401k For A Home Down Payment

by Joshua Bucio

If you have a 401k account, you have a down payment for your home.

Contact the person who handles your 401k account and ask them about information for borrowing against your 401k.  Most 401k plans allow you to borrow against the value of the account.  Generally, the max you can borrower is 50% of the current value.  This will be a loan borrowed to yourself, because the money you pay back goes right back into the 401k account.  I believe the average interest rate you pay on the money borrowed is around 6%.

Lenders allow you to use this money as the downpayment for your home, so take advantage of it.  They don’t count the debt against you in the total debt to income ratio and they only ask that you show that the funds came from your 401k account.

This option for a down payment on a home is overlooked all to often.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

The Realty Blog March 16, 2010 at 11:59 AM

Looks like a nice option but somehow you need to look deeply into it before making any decision. Btw nice information there. Thanks for sharing =)

Johnson County KS Real Estate June 1, 2010 at 8:01 AM

Surprisingly I still get calls for this request. I thought most 401K’s took too big of hit, but it is making some want to dump what it is left into a tangible item.

Home Mortgage Kansas July 5, 2010 at 9:48 AM

If someone has anything left in their 401 they might as well put it into something positive. Sure they may end up losing the money in a house, but chances for big losses would be minimized!

Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate July 12, 2010 at 12:16 PM

I think it is impressive to find anyone who has much left worth investing in their 401K at this point.

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