How much house can you actually buy?
Not the dream number — the real one. Feed in your income, your existing debts, and your down payment, and this works backward the way a lender does: through your debt-to-income ceiling to a target price you can genuinely carry. Pick a safe or a stretch appetite and watch the number move. Honest math beats a hopeful guess every time.
Gross monthly income
Before taxes — household total, all borrowers combined.
Monthly debt payments
Car loans, student loans, credit-card minimums, child support — not rent or utilities.
Down payment
Interest rate
Comfort level
Using a 36% debt-to-income ceiling. “Stretch” models a higher DTI some programs allow — livable, but less breathing room.
A ballpark, not a pre-approval. Real qualifying weighs credit, reserves, and the full payment — let's find your true number.
Affordability is a debt-to-income question.
Lenders don't ask what house you love — they ask what monthly payment your income can carry alongside your existing debts. That ratio is DTI, debt-to-income, and it's the gate. Add up your gross monthly income, subtract your existing obligations, and a percentage of what's left is your housing budget. Work that budget backward through today's rate and you get a real target price. That's exactly what this calculator does — no fantasy, no lowball.
Safe vs. stretch — an honest slider.
A conservative DTI leaves breathing room for life; a stretch DTI uses more of your income and is something several loan programs genuinely allow — it's livable, just tighter. Neither is wrong; they're different appetites for risk. Toggle between them above and watch your target price move. The right answer is the one you'll still feel good about when the car needs tires and the water heater quits.
The number this can't see.
This is a clean ballpark, but real qualifying weighs things a slider can't: your credit score, cash reserves after closing, the loan program, and the full PITI payment — not just P&I. Self-employed? Your qualifying income may be read very differently than a W-2 buyer's. When you want the true number, get a real rate in seconds and we'll pre-approve you for what you can actually buy.
Straight answers.
Straight answers — the same way you'd get them on the phone.
What counts as monthly debt?+
Recurring obligations lenders count: car and student loans, credit-card minimums, personal loans, child support or alimony. It does not include rent, utilities, groceries, or streaming — those aren't in your DTI.
Why does my down payment change what I can afford?+
A bigger down payment means a smaller loan for the same house — so more of your monthly budget buys more home, and you may skip PMI at 20%. The tool adds your down payment straight onto the loan it solves for.
Is this a pre-approval?+
No — it's a planning estimate. A real pre-approval verifies income, pulls credit, and checks reserves, which can move your number up or down. It's fast and free to get the true one.
I'm self-employed — does this still apply?+
The DTI logic holds, but your qualifying income might be figured from bank deposits or a P&L rather than tax returns — often a friendlier number. See self-employed loans; we'll use the method that qualifies you for the most.
This calculator is an educational estimate only — not a loan commitment, pre-approval, or guarantee of qualifying amount. Real qualifying weighs credit, reserves, program, and full payment. Every situation is different.
Now let's find the number you can lock.
A real pre-approval turns this ballpark into an offer sellers respect — fast, free, and no obligation.