How Much House Can You Afford?
How much house you can afford depends on your income, debts and how much breathing room you want to keep. This calculator gives you three numbers: an affordable figure at 28% DTI, a stretch at 33%, and an aggressive maximum at 36%. Enter your gross income, monthly debts and down payment to see all three side by side.
Your finances
$0
at the conventional 28/36 guideline — $0 a month
Three answers, not one- Affordable · 28/36
- $0
- Monthly at that price
- $0.00
- Stretch · 31/43
- $0
- Monthly at that price
- $0.00
- Aggressive · 43% ceiling
- $0
- Monthly at that price
- $0.00
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Affordable is the long-standing 28/36 guideline. Stretch matches FHA's manual underwriting benchmark. Aggressive is the 43% limit for a general qualified mortgage — a legal ceiling, not advice. Sources below.
The 28/36 Rule and What It Really Means
The 28/36 guideline is the backbone of conventional mortgage underwriting. The front-end ratio says your total housing cost — principal, interest, taxes and insurance — should not exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. The back-end ratio says all debt payments combined, including housing, car loans, student loans and minimum credit-card payments, should stay below 36%. These thresholds come from decades of lending data compiled by agencies including the CFPB and Fannie Mae.
A lender may approve you above these lines, sometimes well above them. Approval and affordability are not the same thing. The calculator starts at 28% for the affordable tier precisely because that threshold is designed to leave room for savings, maintenance, and the unexpected costs that come with owning a home. The stretch and aggressive tiers show what higher DTI ratios produce, but they come with thinner margins and less flexibility if your income dips or a major repair hits.
Three Numbers, Not One
Most affordability calculators return a single maximum purchase price. That number is almost always the aggressive ceiling — the most the lender will approve — not the amount you can comfortably carry. Many first-time buyers on personal-finance forums describe feeling house-poor after buying at their approved maximum, with little left for furniture, repairs, or retirement contributions.
The three-tier output here gives you a framework for the conversation with your lender and your household. The affordable figure at 28% DTI is the price where your budget stays comfortable. The stretch figure shows what is possible if you are willing to cut back elsewhere. The aggressive figure is the lender's ceiling — useful to know, but not necessarily wise to reach. Seeing all three on the same screen makes the tradeoff concrete: the gap between affordable and aggressive on an $85,000 salary can easily be $60,000 or more in purchase price, and the monthly payment difference is the money you will or will not have for everything else in your life.
This estimate does not include maintenance, utilities or other homeownership costs beyond PITI. The rate you enter is illustrative unless you have a lender quote in hand.