Home Affordability Calculator | LendingTree (2024)

Find out how much of a mortgage you can qualify for and how much house you can afford

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How much house can I afford?

Home Affordability Calculator | LendingTree (1)

How to use our mortgage affordability calculator

To figure out how much home you can afford with our calculator, enter your gross annual income and total monthly debts, choose a down payment amount and select a loan term.

LendingTree’s calculator defaults to a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, but there’s a 15-year fixed-rate term option if you want to save on interest charges and can afford a higher monthly payment.

How to adjust your price range

Our calculator is preset to a “conservative” 28% DTI ratio; most lenders set a maximum DTI limit between 41% and 45%. You can slide the bar up to an “aggressive” 50% DTI ratio if you’re willing to make room in your budget for a higher payment.

Home Affordability Calculator | LendingTree (2)It’s harder to qualify for a high-DTI loan

If you carry a lot of debt, lenders may require a higher credit score or extra mortgage reserves to cover a few month’s worth of mortgage payments.

Understanding how much mortgage you can afford

Home affordability comes down to two things:

  1. How much a mortgage lender will qualify you to borrow, based on your income, debt and down payment savings
  2. How much money you have in your budget after all of your other expenses are covered

Understanding the difference — and then using a home affordability calculator to crunch some numbers — will help you decide how much house you can really afford.

Factors that affect how much house you can afford

Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio

Lenders divide your total monthly debt payments by your income to determine whether or not you can afford another loan.

Your down payment

The higher your down payment, the higher the loan amount you can qualify for.

Your loan term

A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage offers the lowest stable payment. If you choose a 15-year fixed-rate term, you’ll save money on interest, but won’t qualify for as much house.

Your interest rate

Higher mortgage rates mean higher monthly payments. So the higher your rate, the less house you’ll be able to afford.

How much house can I afford based on my salary?

Lenders will look at your salary when determining how much house you can qualify for, but you’ll need to look at the big picture — your actual take-home pay and monthly expenses — to determine whether that much house is truly affordable.

Here’s a breakdown of what that means:

  1. Your DTI ratio is the main factor lenders use to determine how much they’ll qualify you to borrow. They divide your monthly debt load by your monthly income to calculate it.
  2. Your income is calculated pretax, meaning paycheck deductions for retirement or health insurance aren’t factored in. So while a lender may say you can afford extra debt, your take-home pay may not be enough to cover your living expenses.
  3. Lenders don’t take all of your expenses into account — just the kinds of debts that would appear on a credit report, like auto loan or student loan payments. So all your extra commitments, like gym memberships, cell phone bills and groceries, won’t be considered.

What is the 28/36 rule?

Financial planners often mention the “28/36 rule” when it comes to home affordability.

The 28 is a recommended DTI ratio for your monthly mortgage payment compared to your gross monthly income. Lenders call this your “front-end” DTI ratio.

The 36 is a recommended DTI ratio for your mortgage payment, plus any other debt like auto loans, credit cards, student loans or other accounts that appear on your credit report. This is your “back-end” DTI ratio.

6 ways to increase how much house you can afford

  • BOOST YOUR CREDIT SCORE

    Keep your credit card balances low, pay everything on time and avoid opening a lot of new credit accounts. A higher credit score will get you a lower interest rate, which equals a lower monthly mortgage payment.

  • MAKE A BIGGER DOWN PAYMENT

    Your loan amount and mortgage payment will be lower with a larger down payment. The full amount doesn’t have to be from your own funds, however. You can get a gift from a relative, take out a 401(k) loan or combine your down payment with down payment assistance programs.

  • GROW YOUR MONTHLY INCOME

    Don’t forget your side hustle income — you can use it to help you qualify for a loan, as long as your tax returns show part-time income for the last two years. Plus, two incomes are better than one, so if you can cosign the mortgage with someone you’ll have more borrowing power.

  • REDUCE YOUR MONTHLY DEBT

    The less debt you have, the more house you can afford. If your DTI ratio is holding you back, consider putting a lump sum toward an outstanding personal loan balance, or selling a car and paying off the auto loan.

  • CHOOSE A LONGER LOAN TERM

    You’ll be able to afford a bigger home with a longer repayment term, such as 30 years. However, if the higher monthly payment doesn’t strain your monthly budget, a shorter term can save you thousands in interest charges.

  • CONSIDER DIFFEERENT LOAN PROGRAMS

    Government-backed loan programs may allow for a higher DTI ratio than conventional loans, even if you have a low credit score. Still, they come with higher mortgage insurance costs or guarantee fees that could affect how much you can afford.

Home Affordability Calculator | LendingTree (3)

Home Affordability Calculator | LendingTree (2024)

FAQs

What salary do you need for a $400000 house? ›

The annual salary needed to afford a $400,000 home is about $127,000. Over the past few years, prospective homeowners have chased a moving target: homeownership. The median sales price of houses sold in the U.S. stood at $417,700 in the fourth quarter of 2023—down from a peak of $479,500 in Q4 2022.

How do you calculate affordability of a house? ›

Most financial advisors recommend spending no more than 25% to 28% of your monthly income on housing costs. Add up your total household income and multiply it by . 28. At most, you may be able to afford a $1,120 monthly mortgage payment.

How much house can I afford if I make $36,000 a year? ›

On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.

How much house can I afford on $70,000 a year? ›

If you make $70K a year, you can likely afford a new home between $290,000 and $310,000*. That translates to a monthly house payment between $2,000 and $2,500, which includes your monthly mortgage payment, taxes, and home insurance.

How much annual income to afford a $500,000 house? ›

In today's climate, the income required to purchase a $500,000 home varies greatly based on personal finances, down payment amount, and interest rate. However, assuming a market rate of 7% and a 10% down payment, your household income would need to be about $128,000 to afford a $500,000 home.

Can I afford a 500K house on 200k salary? ›

A mortgage on 200k salary, using the 2.5 rule, means you could afford $500,000 ($200,00 x 2.5). With a 4.5 percent interest rate and a 30-year term, your monthly payment would be $2533 and you'd pay $912,034 over the life of the mortgage due to interest.

Can someone who makes 40k a year afford a house? ›

How much house can I afford with 40,000 a year? With a $40,000 annual salary, you should be able to afford a home that is between $100,000 and $160,000. The final amount that a bank is willing to offer will depend on your financial history and current credit score.

Can a single person live on $36,000 a year? ›

If you want to have a minimalist lifestyle, 36k/year is more then enough. If you want a home, family, car, insurance and some "toys", it's not going to be enough, at least in a majority of places in the U.S. But again, the term "decent" is pretty objective.

Can I buy a house with 36k income? ›

For example, if you make $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year), you can afford a mortgage with a monthly payment no higher than $1,080 ($3,000 x 0.36). Your total household expense should not exceed $1,290 a month ($3,000 x 0.43). How much house can I afford with an FHA loan?

What credit score is needed to buy a $300K house? ›

What credit score is needed to buy a $300K house? The required credit score to buy a $300K house typically ranges from 580 to 720 or higher, depending on the type of loan. For an FHA loan, the minimum credit score is usually around 580.

What credit score is needed to buy a house? ›

The minimum credit score needed for most mortgages is typically around 620. However, government-backed mortgages like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans typically have lower credit requirements than conventional fixed-rate loans and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs).

Can you live off 80k a year? ›

Depending on the size of your family or household, an $80,000 salary may comfortably cover your living expenses. If other people in your household, such as children, depend on your income, consider how much it costs to pay for their living expenses in addition to your own.

Can I afford a 400K house on 100k salary? ›

Assuming you have a 5% down payment (which is what would be required for an FHA loan) and less than 6% in other debts per month (~$500) you could afford a $400,000 home on a $100,000 salary. This number could change substantially, however, depending on if you have a bigger down payment or less debt.

How much monthly payment for a 400K mortgage? ›

For example, on a $400K mortgage with a 7% fixed rate, the monthly payment on a 15-year loan is $3,595. The payment on a 30-year loan, by comparison, is $2,661. Just keep in mind that neither amount factors in the cost of insurance or property taxes, which will both be included in your monthly payment.

How much income to qualify for a 350k mortgage? ›

Following the 28/36 rule, a guideline many mortgage lenders use to gauge how much you can afford, you'd likely need to earn at least $90,000 per year to afford a $350,000 house without spreading yourself too thin. Keep in mind that figure does not include upfront payments, like your down payment and closing costs.

How much do I need to make a year for a 300K house? ›

To purchase a $300K house, you may need to make between $50,000 and $74,500 a year. This is a rule of thumb, and the specific annual salary will vary depending on your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, type of home loan, loan term, and mortgage rate.

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