Your affordability here is limited by the 28% housing-cost ratio, not your other debts — your income is the binding factor.
Lenders vary in exactly which ratios and rules they apply — this is a widely-used starting estimate, not a specific lender's underwriting decision.
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See the full monthly payment breakdown for a specific loan amount with the Mortgage Calculator.
Get pre-approved by an actual lender for a precise number — this estimate excludes your credit score, which meaningfully affects your real interest rate.
A larger down payment raises how much home you can afford at the same monthly payment.
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Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, medical, legal, or tax advice. Always consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Mortgage affordability is the maximum home price a lender would likely approve, estimated from
income, debts, and the “28/36 rule” most U.S. mortgage lenders reference as a starting
guideline. Enter your annual income, existing monthly debt payments, down payment, and expected
loan terms, and this calculator estimates that maximum home price.
This answers a different question than the Mortgage Calculator:
that one tells you the payment for a home price you already have in mind, while this one works
backward from your income and budget to estimate what price range makes sense in the first place.
The Formula
The 28/36 rule caps your estimated monthly housing payment at the lower of two limits:
Front-end ratio:Front-End Limit=Gross Monthly Income×28%
— housing costs (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) shouldn’t exceed 28% of your gross
monthly income.
Back-end ratio:Back-End Limit=Gross Monthly Income×36%−Existing Debts
— all debt payments combined, including housing, shouldn’t exceed 36% of your gross monthly
income.
Once that maximum monthly payment is known, the calculator works backward through the standard
amortization formula (accounting for your down payment and an estimated property tax + insurance
rate) to solve for the home price that produces exactly that payment.
Worked Example
An income of $90,000/year, $300/month in existing debts, a $40,000 down
payment, a 6.5% interest rate, a 30-year term, and an estimated 1.5%/year for property tax
and insurance combined:
Gross monthly income: 90,000÷12=7,500 dollars.
Front-end limit: 7,500×28%=2,100 dollars.
Back-end limit: 7,500×36%−300=2,400 dollars.
The lower of the two, $2,100, is the binding limit.
Solving backward for a home price that produces a $2,100 total payment (principal + interest +
tax + insurance) at these terms: about $310,781.
Cómo funciona esta calculadora
La capacidad de compra de vivienda es el precio máximo de casa que un prestamista probablemente
aprobaría, estimado a partir del ingreso, las deudas y la “regla 28/36” que la mayoría de los
prestamistas hipotecarios de EE. UU. usan como pauta inicial. Ingresa tu ingreso anual, tus
pagos de deuda mensuales existentes, tu enganche y los términos de préstamo esperados, y esta
calculadora estima ese precio máximo de vivienda.
Esto responde a una pregunta distinta a la de la Mortgage Calculator: esa te indica el pago
para un precio de vivienda que ya tienes en mente, mientras que esta trabaja en sentido inverso a
partir de tu ingreso y presupuesto para estimar, en primer lugar, qué rango de precios tiene
sentido.
La fórmula
La regla 28/36 limita tu pago mensual de vivienda estimado al menor de dos límites:
Razón inicial (front-end):Lıˊmite inicial=Ingreso mensual bruto×28%
— los costos de vivienda (capital, interés, impuestos y seguro) no deberían superar el 28% de tu
ingreso mensual bruto.
Razón total (back-end):Lıˊmite total=Ingreso mensual bruto×36%−Deudas existentes
— todos los pagos de deuda combinados, incluida la vivienda, no deberían superar el 36% de tu
ingreso mensual bruto.
Una vez que se conoce ese pago mensual máximo, la calculadora trabaja en sentido inverso a través
de la fórmula de amortización estándar (teniendo en cuenta tu enganche y una tasa estimada de
impuesto predial + seguro) para resolver el precio de vivienda que produce exactamente ese pago.
Ejemplo resuelto
Un ingreso de $90,000/año, $300/mes en deudas existentes, un enganche de
$40,000, una tasa de interés del 6.5%, un plazo de 30 años, y un estimado de 1.5%/año
para impuesto predial y seguro combinados:
Ingreso mensual bruto: 90,000÷12=7,500 dólares.
Límite inicial: 7,500×28%=2,100 dólares.
Límite total: 7,500×36%−300=2,400 dólares.
El menor de los dos, $2,100, es el límite vinculante.
Resolviendo en sentido inverso para un precio de vivienda que produzca un pago total de $2,100
(capital + interés + impuesto + seguro) con estos términos: aproximadamente $310,781.
A widely-used lender guideline: your housing costs shouldn't exceed 28% of your gross monthly income (the front-end ratio), and all your debt payments combined, including housing, shouldn't exceed 36% (the back-end ratio). This calculator uses whichever of the two limits is lower.
Why isn't this exactly what a lender will approve me for?
This is a widely-used starting estimate, not a specific lender's underwriting decision. Actual approval also depends on your credit score, employment history, cash reserves, and the specific lender's own guidelines, which can be more or less strict than the 28/36 rule.
What does the property tax + insurance percentage mean?
It's a combined estimate of annual property tax and homeowners insurance, as a percent of home value — since exact rates vary by location and can't be looked up without a specific address, 1-2% per year is a reasonable planning estimate for most of the US.
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