Max housing payment, max loan, max home price — from the 28/36 rule lenders actually use.
Before you compare listings, it helps to know the ceiling. Conventional lenders size a mortgage using two debt-to-income ratios — a front-end cap (housing payment vs. gross income) and a back-end cap (all debt vs. gross income). Whichever cap is lower wins. This calculator applies the standard 28/36 thresholds to your income, debts, and down payment to estimate how much home you can realistically finance.
Required down payment at this price: $88,598
Based on the conventional 28/36 rule: housing payment ≤ 28% of gross monthly income, and total debt (including housing) ≤ 36%. This is lender convention, not law — many lenders allow a higher DTI (up to ~45%) with strong credit, a larger down payment, or cash reserves. "Housing payment" here is principal + interest only; add property tax, insurance, and HOA for a realistic PITI estimate.
Gross monthly income (before taxes) and your current monthly debt payments — car loans, student loans, credit card minimums, other mortgages.
Use a current quoted rate or a national average, a standard 30- or 15-year term, and your planned down payment percentage.
The calculator shows whether the 28% front-end or 36% back-end ratio is the actual constraint — high existing debt often makes back-end the binding one, even with room left under 28%.
The ratios trace back to conforming-loan underwriting standards used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and are echoed across FHA, conventional, and most non-QM programs with adjustments. They're a starting heuristic, not a hard cutoff — actual approval depends on credit score, reserves, loan program, and lender risk appetite.
Authoritative references behind the math, constants, and tables on this page. Verified by Buğra Sözeri on the dates shown and re-checked at every deploy.