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How much net worth should be housed in your home?

What percentage of your total net worth should your personal residence be during retirement?

Author and radio talk show host Dave Ramsey.
Author and radio talk show host Dave Ramsey.Read more

Dear Dave,

What percentage of your total net worth should your personal residence be during retirement?

Sue

Dear Sue,

Honestly, I don't have a set percentage for this kind of thing. The larger your net worth, the smaller the percentage would be. Let's say you're worth $5 million. In this scenario, you wouldn't want to have 50 percent in your home. But if you're worth $150,000, you're probably going to have more than 50 percent in your home.

So, the smaller your net worth is, the larger the percentage your home will likely be. That's very reasonable, and it's one way you can look at. If you're in the million-dollar range of net worth, I don't think I'd want to have half or more of it in my house.

But I think you see how I'm looking at that. You want to try and have as small a portion as possible, but you also have to have a home that's suitable for your needs.

-Dave

Dave Ramsey is America's trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover,EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.

I’m debt-free except for my home, and I’ll have that paid off in about 12 months. I currently make $60,000 a year and live in an area of Florida that is designated a flood plain,

because a river that empties into Tampa Bay runs behind my home. Currently, I’m paying $1,070 a month for flood insurance. My house is worth $325,000, and water has only come up into

the yard twice in over 20 years. Since I’m doing pretty well financially, do you think I need to keep my flood insurance policy?

Trudy

Dear Trudy,

From what you’ve told me about the history of your property, it sounds like your biggest concern might be if a hurricane caused a backwash in your area. Insurance is already pretty

tough in Florida when it comes to those kinds of things, but you don’t want to run the risk of your house getting mowed down and losing everything.

If I were in your shoes, I think I’d like the protection of flood insurance. What you’re paying for the policy is such a small percentage of your world, compared to the value of your

home and your income. Keep the coverage, Trudy!