06/09/2026
You don’t need 20% down to buy a home.
A first-time buyer can put as little as 3% down on a conventional loan.
And mortgage insurance — the thing most people are trying to avoid by putting 20% down — is frequently much lower than people expect. In some cases, it’s tax deductible.
Here’s the comparison:
Mortgage insurance on a lower down payment vs. the cost of carrying high interest consumer debt.
The math often favors getting into the asset earlier (time in the market)— with less $$$$ down — and using the capital toward eliminating non deductible, high-interest debt instead.
The 20% rule made sense in a different era. In today’s market, for many buyers, it’s not the optimal strategy.
Let’s run the actual numbers for your situation. That’s where you’ll find the answer.
