Debt load: State’s 2011 homebuyers averaged $250,000

The average Washington homeowner took on $249,625 in mortgage debt on a real estate purchase in 2011 – 12th highest in the nation – according to a recent study by LendingTree.com.

Hawaii homeowners tend to take on the most debt in their home purchases with an average home loan amount of $677,299. That means the average homeowner in Hawaii would have a monthly payment of about $3,234 for a 30-year mortgage, before taxes and insurance, according to LendingTree data.

Meanwhile, in Mississippi, home owners take on the lowest loan amounts at $137,182 or $655 monthly mortgage payments, on average.

The national average for a home loan is $222,261 with a $1,061 average monthly payment for a 30-year mortgage at 4 percent.

The following are the top states (plus D.C.) with the highest loan amounts, including the average closed home loan for 2011, according to the survey:

• Hawaii: $667,299.33
• Washington, D.C.: $393,453
• New Jersey: $344,240.85
• New York: $340,124.50
• Maryland: $328,650.89
• Connecticut: $326,416.85
• Virginia: $312,930.83
• California: $310,676.35
• Utah: $276,211.67