If you are thinking about buying recreational real estate or if you are interested in oceanfront properties or hunting properties, it is a good idea to make sure that your finances will allow you to go into recreational real estate.  It is a great financial move, but there are a few things to consider, such as down payment.  Keep in mind that a very important reason you need to have at least some idea of your down payment is for shopping interest rates. Some loan programs charge a slightly higher interest rate for minimal down payments.  If you shop lenders by phone, the loan officer will be able to tell which programs fit and quote you rates accordingly.  If you are shopping on the internet, you have to have some idea of your loan program on your own.

If you only have enough available for a minimum down payment, your choices of loan program will be limited to only a few types of mortgages. If someone is giving you a gift for all or part of the down payment, your options are also limited. If you have enough for the down payment, but need the lender or seller to cover all or part of your closing costs, this further limits your options.

If you borrow all or a portion of the down payment from your retirement plan, different loan programs have different rules on how you qualify.

If you have enough for a large down payment, then your loan choices include such varied programs as conventional fixed rate loans, adjustable rate mortgages, buy downs, VA, FHA, graduated payment mortgages and all the varieties of each. 

If you are asking the seller to pay all or part of your closing costs, you have to be certain your loan program allows what you are asking.

For smaller down payments, lenders allow the seller to pay less closing costs than for larger down payments. Some loan programs will allow a seller to pay certain types of costs, but not others.  Finally, your down payment also affects your ability to qualify for a loan. When you make a small down payment, lenders are strict about having you conform to their underwriting guidelines.

Keep in mind that a down payment affects every choice you make when you buy a home. Although you should look at ads, familiarize yourself with neighborhoods, learn about prices, and read as much as you can, the first thing you should do is figure out how much money you have available for the purchase.  When preparing to buy a home, the next thing many homebuyers do is to look at homes for sale ads in newspapers, magazines and listings on the internet.

The next thing you should is to look at your savings. You should know how to go about affording a down payment. One reason you need to have a clue about your down payment is that it affects how you write your offer to purchase a home.

Not only are you required to put your down payment information in the offer, but also different loan programs have different rules that affect how you write your offer as well. In order to determine how much money you have available for down payment and closing costs affects almost every aspect of buying a home, including how you write your purchase offer, the loan programs you qualify for, and shopping for interest rates.