Calculator

What can you actually afford?

Not "what will a lender approve" — those are different numbers, and the gap between them is where people get into trouble. This shows you both, tells you which constraint is actually binding, and flags the point where you cross into jumbo territory.

Your situation

Household income gross, per year

Before taxes. Include only income you can document for two years — bonuses and commission usually need a history.

Monthly debt payments

Car loans, student loans, minimum credit card payments, child support. Not utilities, groceries, or insurance.

Cash available

For down payment and closing costs. Keep a reserve back — most lenders want to see 2–6 months of payments left over, and you'll want it anyway.

Target down payment

Interest rate

Underwriting limits

Housing-to-income cap

The classic 28% rule. Conservative, and a decent proxy for "comfortable" rather than "approvable."

Total debt-to-income cap

Conventional automated underwriting often goes to 45–50%; FHA can exceed that. Approvable is not the same as advisable.

Property costs

Property tax rate

Insurance % of value/yr

HOA per month

HOA dues count fully against your DTI. A $450 HOA can cost you roughly $80,000 of purchasing power.

Mello-Roos per year

PMI rate

Closing costs

Maximum purchase price

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Monthly payment

—

everything included

Down payment

—

Cash needed

—

down + closing

Loan amount

—

The payment at that price

Your debt-to-income at the max

Lenders look at both. Whichever is tighter is the one that actually decides.

What moves the number

Each row holds everything else constant. This is the most useful table on the page — it tells you where your effort is best spent.

If you…	Max price	Change

A pre-approval from a lender is the only number a seller will take seriously, and it accounts for things this tool can't see — your credit profile, how your income is documented, reserves, and program-specific overlays. Use this to know what to ask for. Then go get the real one.

Estimate only, for education. Not a pre-approval, a commitment to lend, or tax advice. Actual qualifying amounts depend on credit score, employment history, reserves, loan program, and lender overlays. Conforming loan limits are reset annually by the FHFA — verify the current figure for your county.