Maybe you plan to live together in the house as your primary residence, or perhaps you want to buy a shared vacation home. Whatever the case may be, there are a variety of pros and cons to consider before buying a house with a friend.
Should You Buy a House With a Friend?
Buying a house with a friend can be a great idea. However, it’s important to enter the agreement with caution. “One of the biggest problems with buying a house with a friend is that friends don’t always last forever,” Martin Boonzaayer, CEO of The Trusted Home Buyer, told The Balance via email. “If something happens, like the friend moves, there is a conflict with the house. While this can be resolved relatively easily with roommates renting a space, it’s not so easy with an owned house.” Before you start scheduling walk-throughs, take a closer look at the advantages and drawbacks of buying a home with a friend.
The Pros and Cons of Buying a House With a Friend
Pros Explained
Boost your purchasing power: Buying a home with a friend has the potential to expand your purchasing power. You can combine resources to qualify for a larger mortgage than either of you could get alone, which could help you afford a more expensive property. However, your credit scores and incomes will also affect how much you qualify to borrow. Skip mortgage insurance: Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required if your down payment is less than 20% of your home’s purchase price. It protects the lender in case you stop making payments and can range from 0.5% to 6% of the purchase price. However, joining forces with a friend could help you be better equipped to put down at least 20% and avoid the extra expense of PMI. Start building equity: If you want to buy a house with someone else but don’t have a spouse and don’t want to wait, partnering with a carefully chosen friend may be a good solution. It can help you start building equity rather than spending money on rent each month. Split living costs: In addition to splitting the cost of your down payment and monthly mortgage payment, you and your friend could share other expenses associated with owning a home, such as electricity, gas, trash, water, and repair bills.
Cons Explained
Open yourself up to risk: One of the downsides to buying a house with a friend is that you open yourself up to risk. You’ll both be on the mortgage, so if your friend can’t pay, you will be left with the full responsibility to make the mortgage payments. Increase your debt-to-income ratio: Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) shows how much debt you have compared to your income. The higher it is, the harder it can be to get approved for financing. That’s why it’s important to think about how buying a home will impact your DTI—and, therefore, your ability to borrow for other purchases in the future. Consider problems down the road: While you may have thought through all the details about qualifying for and splitting the mortgage, it’s important to consider how to handle survivorship and inheritance issues. These can be difficult conversations to have, but it’s best to get them out of the way before entering a contract together.
How Buying a House With a Friend Works
If you decide that buying a house with a friend is the right move for you, what comes next?
Find the Right Lender
As with any loan, it’s important to do your homework to find the best lender. Shop around and review the loan products available from different lenders while also vetting reviews from past borrowers. Look for a lender that offers loan products that suit your needs, competitive rates and fees, and positive reviews.
Apply Together
To buy a home with a friend, you’ll need to apply to your chosen lender together. Lenders will typically use the lowest credit score to evaluate your application. As long as your combined income is enough to cover the payments, the application can be approved no matter which applicant earns more. You should get pre-approved so that you know upfront how much house you can afford and to show sellers you’re serious.
Discuss the Details
It’s also a good idea to sit down and hash out the details of homeownership with your friend before you start looking at houses. Topics to discuss include:
How you’ll pay the down payment and closing costsHow you’ll split the mortgage payments and where they’ll come from (such as a joint bank account)How you’ll handle the costs and responsibilities of home insurance, maintenance, and repairs
Put Everything in (Official) Writing
Next, create a legally binding agreement that will help protect both parties in case of future disagreements or issues. “If this sounds like a prenup, that’s because it pretty much is,” Boonzaayer said. “Being married is an agreement to share financial responsibility in the future, the same as owning a house together. If an aspiring homeowner does not like the sound of that, I highly recommend they not buy a house with a friend.”
Choose Your Title Type
You and your friend will also need to decide what type of title you want for the property. The two common types used in this scenario are joint tenancy and tenancy in common. With joint tenancy, all owners have equal rights and responsibilities—they both own the whole property. Joint tenants also have a right to survivorship. That means if you pass away, your friend becomes the sole owner, and vice versa. Tenancy in common provides each person with a fractional interest in the property (which does not have to be equal). Either owner can sell their share without the permission of the other. Further, there are no automatic survivorship rights. When you pass away, your interest in the property will go to your estate or your heirs. The title type you choose will have an impact on what happens with the property down the road, so it’s important to carefully consider your options. It’s also a good idea to consult a real estate attorney for advice specific to your situation.
Shop for Your House
Next, look for a house that meets your and your friend’s needs and wants. After getting pre-approved, you’ll know how much you can afford so you can make sure you’re looking at homes in your price range. Once you find the one, you two can submit an offer.
Close the Deal
If your offer is accepted, you and your friend will go through the closing process together. You will both need to sign the paperwork as co-borrowers and you will both be responsible for ensuring the mortgage is paid in its entirety.
What To Expect During the Closing Process
The closing process occurs between the time your offer is accepted and the moment you and your friend get the keys. Closing involves a variety of steps, which can include:
Open an escrow account to hold the money and documents during the closing process Deposit earnest money Perform a title search to ensure it has no claims Purchase title insurance to protect against title defects Hire a real estate attorney to create a contract for you and your friend, and to protect your interests in the sale Negotiate closing costs and ensure there are no hidden fees Get a home inspection Get a pest inspection Renegotiate the offer if necessary Deposit all necessary funds into escrow Do a final walk-through Read through the paperwork and sign it if all is acceptable
The length of the closing process will depend on whether you come across any problems such as undisclosed water damage, title claims, or pests. Purchase closings took an average of 50 days in September 2021, according to Ellie Mae’s “Origination Insight Report.” Be sure to do your due diligence and make sure all your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. A real estate attorney can help ensure both your interests are protected.
The Bottom Line
Buying a house with a friend can help you expand your purchasing power and buy a home sooner than you could alone. However, it’s not without risks. Before you start shopping, you and your friend should have an honest conversation about all aspects of your finances and credit histories. Additionally, make sure to cover the what-if scenarios and how you would handle them. If you’re on the same page and want to move forward, don’t forget to outline the various aspects of your agreement in a legally binding contract. While you may be friends and trust each other, a contract is a good step for any long-term business deal. If you move ahead, “I highly recommend contacting a lawyer to create legal documents that establish financial ownership and responsibilities to the house,” Boonzaayer said. “There can even be agreements on how to sell the house if there is a divergence from the plan.”
How will you two pay for the down payment and closing costs?How will you split the monthly mortgage payments and bills?What will you do if one person can’t make a payment?Who will be responsible for sending the mortgage payment each month?Will taxes and insurance be in an escrow account?How will you split the costs of repairs and maintenance?Do you want to have a buyout agreement in place?Will you have joint tenancy or tenancy in common?
For example, say you want to buy a home that costs $428,700, the median price in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2022. You would need to save at least $21,435—plus moving expenses and incidentals—if you put down 3% ($12,861) and spent 2% of the purchase price ($8,574) on closing costs. If you put down 20% ($85,740) and your closing costs totaled 7% of the purchase price ($30,009), you’d need to have $115,749 saved, not including moving costs.
