When an
individual’s income starts growing and they manage to set aside some
savings, they commonly experience what may be considered an innate
instinct of modern civilized mankind.
The desire
to spend money.
Since North
Americans have a special love affair with the automobile, this becomes a
high priority item on the shopping list. Later, other things will be added
and one of those will probably be a house.
However, by
the time home ownership has become more than a distant and hopeful dream,
you may have already bought the car.
It happens
all the time, sometimes just before you contact a lender to get
pre-qualified for a mortgage.
As part of
the interview, you may tell the loan officer your price target. He will
ask about your income, your savings and your debts, then give you his
opinion. "If only you didn’t have this car payment," he might begin, "you
would certainly qualify for a home loan to buy that house."