Additional things that can impact how much house you can afford include: Property taxes. Tax rates in some states are significantly higher than others. Expect to pay more if you live in a city. Homeowners association or condo fees. Buying a home in an HOA or condominium complex may come with hefty monthly fees to cover all the amenities you can enjoy in these types of properties. The extra cost is counted against your DTI ratio, which reduces how much you qualify for. The condition of the home you’re buying. If you’re thinking about buying a fixer-upper, make sure you have an idea of how much money you’ll need to spend to get the home move-in ready. Consider a fixer-upper loan: You can buy the home and roll the improvement costs into one loan.