Debt Ratios for Home Financing
The debt to income ratio is a tool lenders use to determine how much of your income can be used for a monthly home loan payment after you meet your various other monthly debt payments.
How to figure the qualifying ratio
Most underwriting for conventional loans needs 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 gross monthly income that can go to housing costs (including mortgage principal and interest, private mortgage insurance, 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. Recurring debt includes auto payments, child support and credit card payments.
Examples:
A 28/36 qualifying ratio
- Gross monthly income of $3,500 x .28 = $980 can be applied to housing
- Gross monthly income of $3,500 x .36 = $1,260 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses
With a 29/41 (FHA) qualifying ratio
- Gross monthly income of $3,500 x .29 = $1,015 can be applied to housing
- Gross monthly income of $3,500 x .41 = $1,435 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses
If you want to run your own numbers, feel free to use our very useful Mortgage Pre-Qualifying Calculator.
Just Guidelines
Remember these ratios are just guidelines. We'd be thrilled to pre-qualify you to help you figure out how large a mortgage you can afford.
At Coastal Mortgage Corp., we answer questions about qualifying all the time. Call us: 504-866-5626.