Calculator: How Much Home Can I Afford? Tim Lucas VP of Content, Home.com 09/24/2021 - 17 min. read How much home can I afford? It’s a common question that new homebuyers ask. And the answer isn’t always straightforward. A lot depends on your income, debt payments, down payment, and other factors. This home affordability calculator examines your financial details and tells you how much you might be able to spend on a home. See how much you can afford. Start here. How to use this calculator It just takes a few seconds to get started. Simply put in your income, down payment, and monthly debts. The calculator will estimate your purchase price based on the monthly payment and common lending rules. Click “Advanced” to show more options, such as your desired debt-to-income ratio, or DTI. Your DTI is a number your lender looks at to know how much of your income goes toward your debts plus future home payment. If you tend to be more financially conservative, try dropping your DTI from the default of 41% to around 36%, which should give you plenty of funds left over each month for other expenses. Keep in mind that any calculator is just a starting point. To learn what you can afford, hit the green “Get Started” button where you can request a personalized analysis from a knowledgeable professional. If you’re serious about homebuying, this is your next step. Mortgage Affordability Calculator Figuring out how much house you can afford should be one of the first steps you take when you’re ready to buy a home. You can — and should — get preapproved* to find out how much a lender may be willing let you borrow. But that’s not quite the same thing as how much you can afford. Mortgage affordability is about how much you’re eligible to borrow and how much is comfortable based on your budget. Our mortgage affordability calculator can help you run the numbers and estimate how much you’ll want to spend on a home. WHAT'S IN THIS ARTICLE? What affects how much house you can afford? Jump ↓ Your budget and long-term goals Jump ↓ Your monthly mortgage payment explained Jump ↓ How much house can you afford with different types of loans? Jump ↓ Tips to increase how much house you can afford Jump ↓ Calculator definitions Jump ↓ What affects how much house you can afford? Several different variables affect your homebuying ability. Your income Mortgage lenders want to see that you have enough steady income to make your monthly payment. They want to see two years of employment history (higher education counts if you’re a recent grad), and they will look at your annual income during that period. Stability is key, so if they see significant swings in your income, they may ask for further documentation or a letter of explanation. Your income level may also affect your choice of loan programs. The USDA program, for example, is only available to borrowers who earn 115% or less than their area’s median income. Some conventional loan programs also have income limits. If you are a W2 employee of a company, you can prove your income via your pay stubs and tax returns. Self-employed borrowers may be asked to show their personal and business tax returns, bank statements, and profit and loss statements. You can also qualify using Social Security income, disability benefits, and alimony and child support. Your lender will tell you which documents you need to submit to verify your income. Down payment Down payments directly impact mortgage affordability. The bigger your down payment, the less you need to borrow, and therefore the smaller your mortgage payment for the home. Let’s say you’re buying a $300,000 home with a 30-year mortgage: % down $ down Loan amount Monthly principal + interest due** 3% $9,000 $291,000 $1,227 5% $15,000 $285,000 $1,202 10% $30,000 $270,000 $1,138 20% $60,000 $240,000 $1,012 **The monthly payments shown here do not include additional fees such as homeowners insurance, property taxes, or PMI on conventional loans. Payments are for example purposes only. Not based on currently available rates. With 20% or more down on a conventional loan you wouldn’t pay any PMI. A large down payment can also help you qualify for a lower interest rate. That’s because when you put more down upfront, the lender takes on less risk. To incentivize borrowers to put down more, lenders can reward them with more competitive rates. The good news is, the down payment doesn’t necessarily have to come from your own savings. Some loan programs allow you to use gift funds toward the down payment, so friends and family can help you get into the home with a potentially lower rate and lower monthly payment. Monthly debts Your debt-to-income ratio is another key element lenders consider when you apply for a loan. The DTI tells them how much of your monthly income goes to debts already and how much you’ll realistically have to put toward a housing payment. Here’s how to calculate your DTI: Add up your minimum monthly installments for your credit card payments, car loan, student loans, personal loans, and any other debts (Don’t include your utility payments, grocery bill, or rent.) Divide your debts by your gross monthly income (your income before taxes) That’s your DTI. So, someone who earns $5,000 a month and pays $2,000 a month toward debts has a DTI of 40%. Like your income, DTI affects your eligibility for different loan programs. Conventional loans typically require a DTI of 45% or less, whereas FHA loans may be available to borrowers with DTIs of 50% or higher. Your lender will be able to tell you which loan options are on the table when you get preapproved. Loan term Your mortgage loan’s term — or the repayment period — is a huge factor in the size of your monthly payment. Let’s take a look at a $300,000 house with a down payment of 5%: Loan term Principal + Interest payment*** Total interest paid over the life of the loan 15 years $1,968 $69,273 30 years $1,202 $147,569 ***The monthly payments shown here do not include additional fees such as homeowners insurance, property taxes, or PMI on conventional loans. Payments are for example purposes only. Not based on currently available rates. As you can see, a longer term lowers the monthly house payment, which means you might be able to fit a more expensive home into your monthly budget. But notice the catch: Stretching out the debt for 30 years means you’ll pay much more interest over the life of your loan. On top of that, shorter loan terms often come with lower interest rates, which means you could save even more with a shorter term than this chart shows. If you’d prefer to start out with a lower payment now but your income increases in a few years, you can refinance into a shorter-term loan later. You will pay closing costs on the new loan, so you’d want to make sure the savings was worth it and that the new payment is affordable. But opting for a 30-year mortgage now can get you into a home, and you can reevaluate your position later. Interest rate Let’s return once again to that $300,000 home with a 5% down payment and a 30-year loan term to see how the interest rate affects the cost of the home. Each row represents a half-percent increase in the rate: Total interest over the life of the loan $147,569 $175,723 $204,834 $265,786 The monthly payments shown here do not include additional fees such as homeowners insurance, property taxes, or PMI on conventional loans. Payments are for example purposes only. Not based on currently available rates. With 20% or more down on a conventional loan you wouldn’t pay any PMI. As you can see, a 2% increase in your interest rate adds more than $300 to your house payment and almost $120,000 to the total loan cost over 30 years. Getting a lower rate can also open the doors of more expensive homes, since your lender may be able to approve you for a higher loan amount. But, you may be thinking, you can’t control your interest rate. This is only partly true. Market conditions set the context for the rate you’ll get. (Rates have been quite low over the past year as the economy navigates the coronavirus pandemic.) But you still have a lot of influence over the actual rate you can lock in, because your personal financial profile comes into play as well. Here’s how you can help yourself get a better mortgage rate: Improve your credit score: Paying down your existing debts and making on-time payments can raise your score and put you in range of low rates Lower your DTI: A low DTI represents less risk to your lender and may qualify you for better rates Pick a shorter term, if possible: Shorter terms such as a 15-year mortgage tend to offer lower rates than 30-year loans. But do this only if you can afford the higher principal and interest payment that comes from a shorter-term loan Make a bigger down payment: The more you can put down, the better your chances of accessing lower rates Get the right loan type: Loan types matter. For example, FHA loans work well for credit-challenged homebuyers and they tend to have low rates because they’re government-backed. But if you have a stellar credit profile, a conventional loan could be your best bet with a competitive rate and the other benefits of conventional loans Buy discount points: Discount points allow you to “buy down” your interest rate by paying cash upfront for a lower rate on your loan. A discount point typically costs 1% of your loan amount and drops your rate by 0.25%. This can pay off if you plan to stay in the home loan long enough to benefit from the lower rate Your budget and long-term goals When your lender issues your preapproval, you’ll see the maximum amount you may be able to borrow. But that doesn’t mean you have to take the full amount. In fact, you may want to borrow much less if your priority is having money left over each month for investments, travel plans, or other goals. A house is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make, and you want to find a home that’s comfortable and that you’re excited to live in. But it’s important to consider it in the context of other expenses and priorities. If you take the maximum amount, will you have money left over for savings? For family outings? For the inevitable costs that crop up unexpectedly? The mortgage calculator can help you see different scenarios and compare them to what you want your housing budget to be. Other factors that affect mortgage affordability Your principal and interest will make up the bulk of the monthly payment on your new home. But there are several other variables as well. Homeowners insurance: Lenders require you to have homeowners insurance in place before you close on the loan. Premiums vary based on your coverage levels and where you live, but expect to pay roughly $600-$1,500 a year. That’s about $50-$125 a month added to your mortgage payment Property taxes: The Census Bureau estimates the average homeowner pays about $2,500 a year in property taxes, though again, that amount can vary up or down based on where you live. But a $2,500 a year property tax bill translates to more than $200 added to your monthly payment Mortgage insurance: If you take advantage of a low or no down payment loan, you will likely owe mortgage insurance. Conventional loans with less than 20% down have a private mortgage insurance (PMI) requirement, while FHA loans have an upfront and annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP). USDA loans also require upfront and ongoing mortgage insurance. VA loans do not have annual mortgage insurance, though there is an upfront funding fee. Mortgage insurance rates depend on your loan type, down payment, and credit score. To estimate these costs for your situation, click the Advanced option on the mortgage calculator. Your monthly mortgage payment explained When you close on your home loan and make your first monthly mortgage payment, you’ll be paying for several things all at once. Here’s a quick breakdown of the anatomy of your house payment: Principal This component repays the money you borrowed to buy your home. Early in a 30-year loan’s amortization schedule, only a small portion of your payment will go toward your loan’s principal. Interest Interest pays the cost for borrowing, measured as an annual percentage of your principal. Repayment schedules front-load your interest so you’re paying more interest than principal in the earliest years of a 30-year mortgage. Escrow deposits Many homeowners would struggle to come up with thousands of dollars all at once to pay annual homeowners insurance premiums and property taxes. So mortgage loan servicers collect these fees gradually by adding them to your mortgage payment. You’ll still make one mortgage payment, but your loan servicer will divert part of each payment into an escrow account. As the months pass, the escrow account grows. When a big annual tax or insurance bill comes due, the servicer pays it from your escrow account. How much house can you afford with different types of loans? Finding your best mortgage type will be key to optimizing how much house you can afford. Conventional loans Conventional loans can be a great option if you have a credit score of 620 or higher and meet the other eligibility requirements, including a DTI of 45% or less. High-credit borrowers may qualify for competitive interest rates on conventional loans, and you may be able to buy with as little as 3% down. Additionally, there is no upfront mortgage insurance fee on a conventional loan, and the annual requirement falls off once you have 20% equity in the home. FHA loans FHA loans are government-backed, and borrowers with credit scores of 580 or higher can qualify with 3.5% down. If you opt for an FHA loan, you will owe an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 1.75% of the loan amount. The annual MIP rate depends on your down payment and the size of your loan. But most FHA borrowers pay 0.85% for the life of the loan. You can refinance to a conventional loan with no PMI once you reach 20% equity. USDA loans The U.S. Department of Agriculture insures home loans for low- and moderate-income homebuyers in rural and suburban areas. You can buy with no money down and with mortgage insurance that’s more affordable than the FHA’s. But you’d need a credit score of about 640 or higher to qualify, and you’d need to earn less than 115% of your area’s median income. VA loans Active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and some surviving spouses may qualify for 0% down VA loans. Borrowers with full entitlement available can buy with no money down and no loan limits. There are no ongoing mortgage insurance premiums, though there is an upfront funding fee (borrowers with some service-related disabilities may be exempt from the funding fee). Tips to increase how much house you can afford If you run the numbers on this home affordability calculator and you’re not happy with what you see, there are ways to boost your buying power. Pay down debts: Less debt shows a lender you can afford more Save up money in advance: Cash for a bigger down payment and discount points puts you in control Keep your bills under control: A history of on-time debt payments and a low credit balances can raise your credit score Ask for a raise: Earning more makes more room in your budget for homebuying Start a side hustle: A part-time job or a side hustle can spark more savings and help you pay down debt faster Reduce your monthly expenses: Sticking to a budget also helps with your savings, which you’ll need for your down payment and closing costs and for repairs and maintenance once you buy a home Shop around lenders: Compare rates and fees from at least three different lenders; you never know who’ll give you the best offer The best way to know how much house you can afford? Get preapproved. Mortgage affordability calculators do a great job helping you estimate how much house you can afford. But to find out your realistic price range, you need to get preapproved. A preapproval tells you how much you can borrow and opens doors to the homes you want to see. Start the process here. Home affordability calculator methodology This home affordability calculator factors in your income, down payment, debts, mortgage rate, and even mortgage insurance to estimate a monthly payment. It uses this payment to reverse engineer a home price that you may be able to afford. The maximum payment is determined based on a default debt-to-income ratio of 41%. You can move this ratio higher or lower depending on your risk tolerance. For some loan types, lenders will consider DTIs above 50%. That means 50% of your before-tax income will go toward monthly debts and future home payment. But you might feel more comfortable with a lower DTI. Thirty-six percent is a commonly accepted conservative number. The calculator also factors in homeowner’s insurance, property tax, and HOA dues, if applicable. As with any calculator, you get more accurate results with accurate inputs. It could be a good idea to check out local property tax rates in the area you want to buy. Property taxes can vary widely from county to county, or even from one neighborhood to the next. Lastly, the calculator estimates your private mortgage insurance based on your down payment amount. Any down payment less than 20% will require mortgage insurance. To avoid PMI, simply increase your down payment until you reach 20% of the suggested home price. ‘How much home can I afford’ calculator definitions Annual income: The amount of combined pre-tax income for you and any co-borrowers. Down payment: The amount of funds you have allocated to put down on the home. The more you put down, the lower your payment will be, and the higher home price you can afford. Monthly debts: Debt payments for credit cards, student loans, auto loans, and other personal debt. Do not include other monthly expenses like utilities, groceries, cell phone bills, or rent. Loan term: The number of years your lender sets to pay off the loan. The most common loan term is 30 years, but 10, 15, 20, and 25-year loans are available as well. Some lenders can even offer custom terms, such as 12 or 18 years. Interest rate: The amount of interest you pay per year, expressed as a percentage of your loan amount. For example, you’ll pay $4,000 per year in interest on a $100,000 loan at an interest rate of 4%. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI): DTI is a comparison between your pre-tax income and all debt payments plus your future all-inclusive home payment. For example, if you make $8,000 per month, and you pay $4,000 per month in debt payments plus future housing payment, your DTI would be 50%. Homeowner’s insurance: Lenders require you to maintain homeowner’s insurance, which pays for the home to be repaired or rebuilt in case of fire or another disaster. Most homes cost between $50-$100 per month to insure. Note that this insurance does not include flood or earthquake protection. Those policies can be as much or more than the standard homeowner’s insurance. If you need such policies, place the total insurance cost in this same box. Property tax: The amount levied by your local jurisdiction each year when you own property. It’s important to check property tax rates in the place you plan to buy, since this cost can vary widely. HOA dues: If your home is in a homeowner’s association, you will probably have to pay HOA dues, which go toward upkeep and maintenance of common areas. Note that HOA dues can apply to condos, but also to single-family homes within a planned unit development, or PUD. PMI: Private mortgage insurance. This is insurance that your lender requires when you put down less than 20%. To eliminate this fee, increase your down payment amount until you’ve reached 20% of the calculator’s suggested home price. *Pre-approval is based on a preliminary review of credit information provided to Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, which has not been reviewed by underwriting. If you have submitted verifying documentation, you have done so voluntarily. Final loan approval is subject to a full underwriting review of support documentation including, but not limited to, applicants’ creditworthiness, assets, income information, and a satisfactory appraisal. Some references sourced within this article have not been prepared by Fairway and are distributed for educational purposes only. The information is not guaranteed to be accurate and may not entirely represent the opinions of Fairway. FURTHER READING 4 minute read Posted on 04/16/2021 Fairway Advantage Pre-Approval is the Key to a New Home Casey Morris 44 minute read Posted on 04/22/2021 How To Buy a House in 11 Steps | 2021 Guide Casey Morris 6 minute read Posted on 04/28/2021 $15k First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit 2021: All Your Questions Answered Tim Lucas Popular Links 9 minute read 07/19/2021 Here’s What to Know About the $25,000 First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Credit 2021 20 minute read 02/01/2021 FHA Loan Requirements 2021 | Rates & Eligibility 22 minute read 06/21/2021 How Much Cash Do You Need For a Conventional Loan Down Payment? 8 minute read 06/29/2021 Family Opportunity Mortgage: Buy a Home for Elderly Parents or an Adult Child With a Disability LOAN PROGRAMS Conventional Loans FHA Loans USDA Loans VA Home Loans Family Opportunity Mortgage Reverse Mortgage Conventional Refinance VA Streamline CONTACT 4750 S. 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