One of the biggest myths I still hear from home buyers is this:
“I was told I need $100,000 to buy a house.”

And every time I hear that, I think… what are they even talking about?

Because when you break it down correctly, buying a home is much more flexible than most people realize, especially when it comes to closing costs.

I recently recorded a video about this because I keep hearing the same confusion from first-time buyers.

If you’d rather watch or listen to me break it down, you can catch the full video here:
👉 How To Get The Home Seller To Pay Your Closing Costs
And if you’re trying to stay ahead of the market this year, make sure you subscribe so you’re notified when new updates drop.

Now let’s walk through it together.

First: Down Payment Is NOT 20%

If you're buying a primary residence:

• Conventional first-time buyer: 3% down

• FHA: 3.5% down

• Conventional repeat buyer: 5% down

• VA & USDA: 0% down

You do not need 20% unless you're buying an investment property.

That alone eliminates a huge barrier for most buyers.

But where things get messy is closing costs.

Closing Costs Are Not a Fixed Percentage

There is no universal “5%” or “6%” rule.

Closing costs depend on:

• The state you're buying in

• The loan type

• The loan amount

• The lender you’re working with

For example:

• Florida has higher transfer taxes than many parts of California.

• New York is one of the most expensive states due to mortgage taxes.

• And yes, some lenders charge wildly different fees than others.

So when someone says “closing costs are always X%,” that’s just not accurate.

The Part Most Buyers Don’t Realize

You can ask the seller to pay your closing costs.

Read that again.

You can ask the seller to pay your closing costs.

I would argue 80–90% of the buyers we help successfully negotiate seller-paid closing costs.

There’s nothing magical about it.
It’s simply a negotiation strategy.

Now, does it depend on:

• Market conditions?

• Inventory levels?

• How strong your realtor is?

Yes.

But most buyers never even ask, because they don’t know they can.

Real Example (From Me)

I recently bought another house.

I did not need help with closing costs.

And guess what?

I asked anyway.

And I got it.

Why?

Because after inspections, there were items that I felt warranted a credit. Instead of reducing the price, I negotiated seller-paid closing costs.

That allowed me to keep more liquid cash on hand (and yes, I am a little Scrooge McDuck about liquidity).

If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Why This Matters So Much

When you buy a house, you will have:

• Moving expenses

• Repairs

• Furniture

• Random surprises

Getting seller credits can be the difference between:

😌 Feeling stable after closing
or
😬 Feeling like you drained every dollar you had

That emotional difference matters.

How Much Should You Ask For?

That depends on:

• Your loan type (there are seller credit limits)

• Your projected closing costs

• The strength of the offer

• Market conditions

If you're working with us, we walk you through that before you ever write the offer.

You should know:

• What your estimated closing costs are

• What you're allowed to ask for

• What makes sense strategically

That’s part of proper planning.

If This Sounds Familiar…

If you've been told:

• “You need way more money.”

• “Sellers don’t do that.”

• “That’s not realistic.”

It might not be your situation.

It might be your guidance.

And if you're still trying to understand the difference between down payment and total cash to close, you’ll also want to read:
👉 How Hard Is It to Buy a House in 2025?
That blog breaks down the actual requirements vs. what people think they need.

The Bottom Line

You do not need 20% down.
Closing costs are not a universal percentage.
And yes, you can absolutely ask the seller to help.

The key is working with a lender who actually walks through the numbers with you and builds a strategy. not just spits out a pre-approval and disappears.

If you want to run your scenario and see what’s possible, my team and I are here to help.

We love helping buyers win.

📞 Call or Text Me: (786) 933-2077
🏡 Get Pre-Approved: https://www.zerostressmortgage.com 
📅 Set Up a Time to Chat: https://calendly.com/jennifer-beeston