Kelsey Neubauer

New York

Personal Finance Reporter at CNBC Select

Reporter @CNBCSelect • previously @BusinessInsider, @Bisnow, @vtdigger• @columbiajourn Stabile and UVM alumna • she/her • email me: [email protected]

Articles

How Much House Can I Afford With a $100,000 Salary?

1 day ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Hitting a six-figure salary is a major career benchmark in the U.S., but $100,000 doesn't buy what it used to. In fact, it won't pay for a median-priced three-bedroom home in 34 states. If your household income is $100,000, here's how to figure out the price range you should stick to when house hunting. Start with the 30% ruleAccording to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income.
How To Get A Mortgage When You're Self-Employed

2 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Sole proprietors, independent contractors, partners in a business, gig workers or those who own a business part-time are all considered self-employed, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Generally, anyone who brings in income by doing work that's not documented on a W2, is considered self-employed. Most borrowers want to see that you've been self-employed for at least two years before they consider you for a mortgage.
Your Rent Payments Can Earn You Up to $5,000 Toward a Rocket Mortgage Home Loan

2 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

If you rent, it may feel like you'll never save enough to buy a home. But a new program from Rocket Mortgage is rewarding renters with up to $5,000 to make the dream of homeownership a reality Launched in February, the RocketRentRewards program provides renters with a credit worth 10% of their final year of rent payments that they can put toward closing costs on a Rocket Mortgage home loan. A monthly rent of $1,800, for example, would net you a $2,160 credit.
How Much You Need to Earn in Every State to Afford a House

3 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Thanks to elevated mortgage rates and a housing shortage, homebuying is more expensive than ever. In fact, you'd need to earn six figures to afford a median-priced home in all but 15 states, according to a new report from real estate platform Realtor.com. The site's affordability analysis also revealed that, in nearly half the country, an average four-person household doesn't bring home enough to afford monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced three-bedroom house.
Mortgage payment calculator: See how much you'd spend each month

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

One of the most challenging parts of starting the homebuying process is figuring out how much you can afford . With CNBC Select's mortgage payment calculator, you can see how various factors — including home price, loan term, interest rate, down payment and even the state you live in — will change the size of your monthly housing payment.
How to Get Out of a Car Lease

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

There are a number of ways to get out of a car loan. But if you're leasing your vehicle, the options are somewhat different. CNBC Select walks through four ways you can end your lease before the contract is up. 1. Return the carThe simplest way to get out of a car lease is to just return the car to the dealer. You'll have to pay an early termination fee, however, usually a set dollar amount plus the difference between the balance on your lease and the car's market value.
Should I Use a Home Equity Loan to Pay Off My Credit Card Debt?

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have lower interest rates than credit cards. That can lead some homeowners to use them to pay down large credit card bills. But this method isn't foolproof: Most notably, you're trading an unsecured debt for a secured one that uses your home as collateral. If you fail to make on-time payments, your lender could force you into foreclosure.
Best Credit Union Mortgage Lenders of April 2025

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Nonprofit financial institutions owned by their members, credit unions can be a better avenue to pursue a home loan than a traditional bank or other lender. They often boast lower-than-average rates, discounted fees, multiple down payment assistance options and more personalized service. Some credit unions are only available to select groups, like members of the U.S. armed forces. But many others are open to just about anyone.
How to refinance your mortgage when you have bad credit

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Your credit score gives lenders a sense of how likely you are to make regular, on-time mortgage payments. So, it's a critical part of the approval process for mortgage refinancing. Typically, homeowners need at least a 620 FICO score to refinance. But if you don't meet this threshold, you still have options. Below, CNBC Select outlines how to refinance with less-than-perfect credit.
The 10 Largest VA Mortgage Lenders

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

VA loansare zero-down mortgages for active service members and veterans that are insured by the Department of Veterans Affairs and funded by private lenders. Created in 1944, the VA loan program has aided more than 24 million families achieve homeownership with flexible qualifications, lower rates, no down payment and no private mortgage insurance. No big banks were among the top 10 originators of VA loans in 2024, according to CNBC Select analysis of data from the Department of Veteran Affairs.