How Much House Can I Afford? - Home Affordability Calculator - HSH.com (2024)

For an example calculation, lets assume you are a first-time homebuyer, have a very good credit score, a $60,000 annual household income, $250 in monthly debt payments, $20,000 to use as a down payment, property taxes of 1.25% of the purchase price you can qualify for and annual homeowner's insurance premiums of about 0.5% of the home's value.

With a 4% mortgage interest rate and a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage term, and using a 28% housing ratio, this means you can utilize $1,400 per month for Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance; with your down payment of just 8.89% of the home purchase price, Private Mortgage Insurance costs will also be included in that $1,400 figure.

$1,400 per month qualifies to borrow a loan amount of $204,913; add your $20,000 down payment to this, and you can purchase a home of $224,913. Of course, you’ll still need cash for reserves and to cover the loan’s closing costs.

Your debt-to-income ratio as a percentage of your income is low enough so that the back-end "cap" of 36% of your gross monthly income doesn't come into play. In fact, the 36% cap means you can carry as much as $400 per month in debts and still qualify for the amount above.

If your DTI is above 36%, don't worry. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now backing loans for borrowers with back-end debt ratios of as much as 50%. While less debt is better, more doesn't necessarily mean you can't qualify for a mortgage large enough to buy a great piece of real estate that you can call home.

How Much House Can I Afford? - Home Affordability Calculator - HSH.com (2024)

FAQs

Can I afford a 300K house on a 70K salary? ›

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.

Can I afford a 300K house on a 60k salary? ›

An individual earning $60,000 a year may buy a home worth ranging from $180,000 to over $300,000. That's because your wage isn't the only factor that affects your house purchase budget. Your credit score, existing debts, mortgage rates, and a variety of other considerations must all be taken into account.

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 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.

Can I afford a 300K house on a 50k salary? ›

A person who makes $50,000 a year might be able to afford a house worth anywhere from $180,000 to nearly $300,000. That's because your annual salary isn't the only variable that determines your home buying budget. You also have to consider your credit score, current debts, mortgage rates, and many other factors.

What house can I afford on 40k a year? ›

How much house can I afford on 40K a year?
Annual Salary$40,000$40,000
Mortgage Rate7.287%7.287%
Home Purchase Budget (25% monthly income on mortgage payments)$103,800$114,900
Home Purchase Budget (28% monthly income)$109,500$127,600
Home Purchase Budget (36% monthly income)$141,100$159,300
4 more rows
May 10, 2023

What income is needed for a $400,000 mortgage? ›

Your payment should not be more than 28%. of your total gross monthly income. That means you'll need to make 11,500 dollars a month, or 138 k per year. in order to comfortably afford this 400,000 dollar home.

What should your income be to buy a 300 000 house? ›

How much do I need to make to buy a $300K house? You'll likely need to make about $75,000 a year to buy a $300K house. This is an estimate, but, as a rule of thumb, with a 3 percent down payment on a conventional 30-year mortgage at 7 percent, your monthly mortgage payment will be around $2,250.

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

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans need at least a 580 FICO Score with at least a 3.5% down payment (which amounts to $10,500 on a $300,000 home). Conventional loans require a minimum FICO® Score of 620 along with a 3% down payment (which amounts to $9,000 on a $300,000 home).

Is $36,000 a year low income? ›

A widely used federal guideline defines low income as $14,580 annually for one person and $30,000 for a family of four.

Can I buy a home making 36k a year? ›

If you make $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year), your DTI with an FHA loan should be no more than $1,290 ($3,000 x 0.43) — which means you can afford a house with a monthly payment that is no more than $900 ($3,000 x 0.31). FHA loans typically allow for a lower down payment and credit score if certain requirements are met.

How much house for $3,500 a month? ›

A $3,500 per month mortgage in the United States, based on our calculations, will put you in an above-average price range in many cities, or let you at least get a foot in the door in high cost of living areas. That price point is $550,000.

What is the rule of thumb for home affordability? ›

Here's a simple industry rule of thumb: Housing expenses should not exceed 28 percent of your pre-tax household income.

What is the 28 36 rule? ›

According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.

What is the general rule for mortgage affordability? ›

Well-known mortgage payment rules or methods

To determine how much you can afford using this rule, multiply your monthly gross income by 28%. For example, if you make $10,000 every month, multiply $10,000 by 0.28 to get $2,800. Using these figures, your monthly mortgage payment should be no more than $2,800.

How much mortgage can I get with $70,000 salary? ›

Assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year fixed-rate loan at an interest rate of 7 percent, you can afford the payments on a $240,000 home, according to Bankrate's mortgage calculator.

How much rent can I afford on $70k? ›

So you're looking at somewhere near $3791 after tax per month. To be safe, a rule of thumb is that you should aim for 1/3 of your salary or less on rent. That will leave the appropriate amount for spending money, insurance, transportation, etc etc. So my suggestion is to look for $1263 per month or less.

How much car can I afford if I make 70k a year? ›

Using an average interest rate, and a car payment calculator, you can afford a $19,000-20,000 car on a $70k salary using the 20/4/20 rule of car buying.

How much house can I afford on a 75 000 salary? ›

28/36 rule example. Here's how the 28/36 rule works, assuming you make $6,250 per month ($75,000 per year) before taxes. If my “front-end” DTI ratio is 28%, what monthly payment can I afford? Your monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed $1,750.

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