FHA loans require a DTI of 43 percent or less, unless significant compensating factors are present, such as a high credit score or lots of equity in the house. In these cases, a DTI of up to 50 percent is possible. DTI is the portion of your future housing and other debt payments compared to your pre-tax income. For instance, if your income is $7,000 per month, a 43 percent DTI would be $3,000. In this example, you could have a $2,000 house payment and $1,000 combined payments for a car, student loans, or other debts.