<prompt> Human: Me and my husband are looking to be first time home buyers. Currently together we make 53,000 a year in Cincinnati how much would you suggest saving for a down payment and to put up in reserves before talking to a lender?  <response>: You dont need 20 down payment. You have tons of options. Theres so many loans that are legit without having any down payment or less than 10. Also if you go by one person name you might qualify for a better loan with no down payment as well. Depending on how the 53k is split. With that said, you def want an emergency fund first. So when you are ready you have it incase something happens. You cant really avoid closing costs. Aim for around 150k house. 