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House Affordability Calculator

Find the maximum home price you can afford based on your income, debts, down payment and lender DTI limits.

Result

Max home price
$390,262.39
Max loan amount
$350,262.39
Max monthly payment
$2,100.00
Export:

Front-end vs. back-end payment limit

Front-end vs. back-end payment limit$5,000.00$3,750.00$2,500.00$1,250.00$0.00Front-end (housing)Back-end (all debt)
Max home price funding
  • Down payment$40,000.0010.2%
  • Loan amount$350,262.3989.8%

How affordability is estimated

Lenders decide what you can borrow mainly through two debt-to-income ratios. The front-end ratio limits how much of your gross monthly income can go to housing. The back-end ratio limits how much can go to all debt combined — housing plus car loans, student loans, credit cards and the like.

This calculator applies both. It takes the smaller of the front-end allowance and the back-end allowance (after subtracting your existing monthly debts) as the largest payment you can support. It then back-solves the loan that payment can finance at your rate and term, and adds your down payment to estimate a maximum purchase price.

Reading the two limits

The chart shows both ceilings side by side. Whichever bar is shorter is the one actually constraining you — that is the binding limit.

If the back-end bar is the shorter one, existing debts are holding back your budget, and paying some of them down would lift how much house you can afford. If the front-end bar is shorter, housing itself is the constraint and the back-end has room to spare.

Using the result wisely

The maximum here is what a lender might allow, not necessarily what is comfortable.

  • A common rule of thumb is 28% of gross income for housing and 36% for total debt, but many lenders permit more.
  • Borrowing the full maximum leaves little slack for emergencies, maintenance or rate changes.
  • Remember the payment must also cover taxes, insurance and any HOA dues — not just principal and interest.

Limitations

This is an estimate based on the ratios and figures you enter. Real approval also weighs credit score, employment history, reserves and the specific loan program, and lender rules vary widely. Treat the result as a starting point for budgeting, not a guarantee of approval. This is general information, not financial advice.

Formula

maxMonthly = min(front%·income/12, back%·income/12 − debts); loan from payment; price = loan + down

Frequently asked questions

What are typical DTI limits?
A common rule of thumb is 28% of gross income for housing (front-end) and 36% for all debt (back-end), though many lenders allow higher.