Ratio of Debt to Income
Lenders use a ratio called "debt to income" to decide the most you can pay monthly after you have paid your other monthly debts.
About your qualifying ratio
Most conventional mortgage loans require a qualifying ratio of 28/36. FHA loans are a little less strict, requiring a 29/41 ratio.
The first number in a qualifying ratio is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income that can be applied to housing (this includes principal and interest, PMI, hazard insurance, property tax, and homeowners' association dues).
The second number in the ratio is what percent of your gross income every month that can be applied to housing costs and recurring debt together. For purposes of this ratio, debt includes credit card payments, auto/boat payments, child support, etcetera.
For example:
With a 28/36 ratio
- Gross monthly income of $8,000 x .28 = $2,240 can be applied to housing
- Gross monthly income of $8,000 x .36 = $2,280 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses
With a 29/41 (FHA) qualifying ratio
- Gross monthly income of $8,000 x .29 = $2,320 can be applied to housing
- Gross monthly income of $8,000 x .41 = $3,280 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses
If you want to calculate pre-qualification numbers on your own income and expenses, please use this Mortgage Pre-Qualification Calculator.
Just Guidelines
Remember these ratios are only guidelines. We'd be happy to go over pre-qualification to determine how large a mortgage you can afford.
The Mortgage Exchange Service LLC can answer questions about these ratios and many others. Give us a call: 703.255-5810.