House Affordability Calculator
Find a realistic home price range from your income, debts, and down payment — using lender DTI guidelines or a monthly budget you set yourself.
28/36
Conventional Rule
31/43
FHA Guideline
41%
VA Back-End
🏠 Income & Debt Details
DTI-based affordability
INCOME & DEBTS
DTI RULE
LOAN & PROPERTY DETAILS
ADDITIONAL MONTHLY COSTS
Maximum Home Price
$389,514
Conservative: $350,563 — Stretch: $428,466
Affordability Comfort Level
Front-End DTI
28.0%
✓ Within limit
Back-End DTI
33.0%
✓ Within limit
🏠 Est. Monthly Housing Costs
- Principal & Interest
- $2,148
- Property Tax
- $390
- Home Insurance
- $125
- HOA Fees
- $0
- PMI
- $137
- Total Monthly
- $2,800
Moderate — Near Typical Limits
Within lender guidelines, but keep an eye on other spending.
📊 Monthly Cost Breakdown
- Principal & Interest
- Property Tax
- Insurance
- PMI
📋 Price Scenarios at Different Down Payments
| Down Payment | Max Price | Monthly P&I | PMI? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% ($10,385) | $346,151 | $2,189 | ⚠️ Yes |
| 5% ($17,624) | $352,478 | $2,183 | ⚠️ Yes |
| 10% ($36,936) | $369,356 | $2,167 | ⚠️ Yes |
| 20% ($86,076) | $430,382 | $2,245 | ✅ No |
How Much House Can You Afford?
Our house affordability calculator gives you two proven ways to size a home purchase. DTI Mode applies the same debt-to-income guidelines a lender would — 28/36 conventional, 31/43 FHA, or 41% VA back-end — to your income and existing debts. Budget Mode skips the lender math and works backward from a monthly payment you're personally comfortable with. Either way, taxes, insurance, HOA, and PMI are baked into the number so you see total housing cost, not just principal and interest. Once you know your range, size the exact payment with our mortgage calculator and see the full payoff schedule with our amortization calculator.
📐 The 28/36 Rule, Explained
The most common lender guideline caps housing costs at 28% of gross monthly income (front-end) and all debts combined at 36% (back-end).
Example: $8,000/month gross income → max housing $2,240 (28%), max total debt $2,880 (36%). If you already carry $500/month in other debt, your housing ceiling drops to $2,380.
🏦 What's Included in “Housing Costs”
- P&I: Principal and interest, the core mortgage payment
- Property tax: Varies by county, typically 0.3%-2.5% of value/year
- Insurance: Roughly $1,000-$2,500/year for most homes
- HOA: $0-$1,000+/month depending on the community
- PMI: Required whenever your down payment is under 20%
💰 How Down Payment Affects Affordability
- 3-5% down: Lowest barrier to entry, but PMI adds real monthly cost
- 10% down: Smaller loan and PMI bill, better loan-to-value
- 20% down: Eliminates PMI entirely and often unlocks better rates
- 20%+ down: Maximizes your price range for a given budget
Compare all four scenarios instantly in the “Price Scenarios” table above.
⚠️ Common Affordability Mistakes
- Buying at the maximum approved amount — leaves no cushion
- Ignoring closing costs — typically 2-5% of purchase price
- Forgetting a maintenance budget — plan for 1-2%/year
- Skipping utilities and commuting cost changes in a new area
- Using optimistic income projections instead of current, verified income
— FAQ