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How Much House Can You Afford?

Enter your income, debts, and down payment to see the maximum home price you'd realistically qualify for — using the same debt-to-income math lenders use.

📊 DTI-based 🏠 Full payment breakdown 📈 Scenario comparison
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Your income & debts
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$
Car loans, student loans, credit card minimums — not including the future mortgage.
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Financing details
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yrs
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Taxes, insurance & HOA
1.1% is roughly the U.S. average — check your local rate for a more precise estimate.
$
$
You can likely afford a home around
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Max home price
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Max monthly payment
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Loan amount
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Monthly payment breakdown
How much house you can afford by lender strictness
DTI guidelineMax home price

Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on standard debt-to-income guidelines and the assumptions you enter. Actual lending decisions depend on credit score, loan program, reserves, and individual lender policies. Property tax and insurance costs vary significantly by location. For informational purposes only — not financial or lending advice. Consult a mortgage professional for a real pre-approval.

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How to use this calculator
1
Enter your gross household income and existing monthly debts
Use pre-tax income, and include every recurring debt payment except the future mortgage.
2
Add your down payment and expected loan terms
Use a rate you've been quoted, or a current market average if you're still early in the process.
3
Adjust property tax, insurance, and HOA for your area
These vary a lot by location — a more accurate estimate here means a more accurate max home price.
4
Check which ratio is binding, and the scenario comparison
See whether your income or your existing debt is the real limit, and how a more or less strict lender changes your number.
💡 Pro tip: If your back-end ratio is the binding constraint, paying down a car loan or credit card balance before you apply can meaningfully increase your approved home price.
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FAQs
Lenders use two debt-to-income ratios: a front-end ratio (your total housing payment divided by gross monthly income, typically capped around 28%) and a back-end ratio (all monthly debts including housing divided by gross income, typically capped around 36–43%). Whichever ratio produces the lower maximum payment is the binding constraint on how much you can borrow.
The 28/36 rule is a conservative affordability guideline: your housing payment shouldn't exceed 28% of gross monthly income, and your total debt payments (including housing) shouldn't exceed 36%. Many conventional lenders use these or similar thresholds as a starting point, though actual approved ratios vary by loan program and lender.
The back-end debt-to-income ratio counts all your monthly debt obligations, not just housing. A car payment, student loan, or credit card minimum all count against the same income, so higher existing debt payments leave less room under the back-end cap for a housing payment — even if your income alone could support a bigger loan.
Yes, in two ways: it reduces the loan amount needed for a given home price (lowering the monthly principal and interest), and the extra cash directly adds to the purchase price you can reach at the same monthly payment. A larger down payment can also help you avoid PMI on conventional loans, which frees up more of your monthly budget for the mortgage itself.
Not necessarily. Lender-approved maximums are based on debt ratios, not your personal savings goals, risk tolerance, or other spending priorities. Many financial planners suggest staying below the maximum approved amount to preserve room for savings, retirement contributions, and unexpected expenses.
📊 Quick facts
Conservative front-end cap
28% of gross income
Conservative back-end cap
36% of gross income
FHA-style back-end cap
Up to 43-45%
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Already have a home price in mind? Use our mortgage calculator to see the exact monthly payment.

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How This Calculator Works

This calculator applies the same front-end and back-end debt-to-income math that mortgage lenders use during underwriting. The front-end ratio limits your housing payment to a percentage of gross income; the back-end ratio limits your total debt payments (housing plus everything else) to a higher percentage. Whichever ratio produces the smaller monthly housing budget is the one that actually constrains your borrowing power. From that budget, the calculator solves backward through your down payment, interest rate, loan term, property tax rate, insurance, and HOA to find the maximum home price that keeps your total monthly payment within budget.

Front-End vs. Back-End Ratio: Which One Matters More

If you carry little other debt, your front-end ratio (28% guideline) is usually the binding constraint — your income alone determines your ceiling. If you have significant existing monthly debt — a car payment, student loans, high credit card minimums — the back-end ratio often becomes the real limit, since those payments eat into the same income lenders are measuring against. This is why paying down existing debt before applying for a mortgage can increase your approved amount even without a raise.

Why the Scenario Comparison Matters

Not all lenders and loan programs use the same debt-to-income thresholds. Conventional loans often stick close to the conservative 28/36 guideline, while FHA and some other programs allow back-end ratios up to 43-45% for well-qualified borrowers. The scenario table shows how much your maximum home price shifts across these different underwriting standards, so you have a realistic range rather than a single number that may not match the loan program you actually qualify for.