[ad_1] The cost of real estate has surged dramatically over the last decade, but especially over the last 12 months. In fact, a recent report from the National Association of Realtors showed the median existing-home sales price rose at a year-over-year pace of 17.8% from August 2020 to August 2021. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines and waiting until you can afford the home you want, rising real estate prices can seem particularly troubling. You might also be rethinking your strategy and goals, or trying to figure out whether you can spend more than you originally thought. You probably have dozens of questions swirling through your head as well. For example: How much can I afford for a house? Also, how much will a mortgage company actually lend me? Unfortunately, what the mortgage company says and what you can comfortably afford aren’t always the same. This guide aims to explain how to figure out how much house you can actually afford, and not just what the mortgage company says. If you’re ready to dive into the real estate market before prices head to the moon, read on to learn more. #ap27243-ww{padding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px;font-family:Lato,Arial,sans-serif}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-indicator{text-align:right}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-indicator-wrapper{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap27243-ww-text{display:block}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap27243-ww-label{display:none}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-text{margin:auto 3px auto auto}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-label{margin-left:4px;margin-right:3px}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-icon{margin:auto;padding:1px;display:inline-block;width:15px;cursor:pointer}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-icon img{vertical-align:middle;width:15px}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-text-bottom{margin:5px}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-text{display:none}#ap27243-ww #ap27243-ww-icon img{text-indent:-9999px;color:transparent} Ads by Money. 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Talk to a mortgage expert today before the market changes! Mortgage experts can help you find the best financing option for your needs, to help you get one step closer to the home of your dreams. Click your state to begin! HawaiiAlaskaFloridaSouth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaNorth CarolinaTennesseeRIRhode IslandCTConnecticutMAMassachusettsMaineNHNew HampshireVTVermontNew YorkNJNew JerseyDEDelawareMDMarylandWest VirginiaOhioMichiganArizonaNevadaUtahColoradoNew MexicoSouth DakotaIowaIndianaIllinoisMinnesotaWisconsinMissouriLouisianaVirginiaDCWashington DCIdahoCaliforniaNorth DakotaWashingtonOregonMontanaWyomingNebraskaKansasOklahomaPennsylvaniaKentuckyMississippiArkansasTexas View Rates Today! How Lenders Decide How Much Home You Can Afford When you apply for a mortgage so you can purchase a home, lenders look at an array of important factors including your credit score, your income, and your other debts. They also use a specific metric known as debt-to-income ratio (DTI) to gauge how much they can reasonably lend you. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) may sound like a fancy term, but it’s really nothing more than your monthly expenses compared to your monthly gross income. You can determine your DTI by dividing your monthly debts by your gross monthly income. For example, someone with a gross monthly income of $10,000 and monthly expenses of $3,500 would have a debt-to-income ratio of 35%. The calculation used to reach this figure looks like this: $3,500 / $10,000 = 0.35% Enter a general rule known as the “29/41 rule.” Generally speaking, mortgage lenders want to ensure your overall debt-to-income ratio is no more than 41%, and that your housing payment makes up no more than 29% of that amount. With a gross monthly income of $10,000 (or $120,000 per year), your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance) should be no more than $2,900, while your total debts combined should cost you no more than $4,100 per month. If you earn half of that, or $5,000 per month, your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance) should be no more than $1,450, while your total debts combined should cost you no more than $2,050 per month. Which debts count as “other debts?” This metric can include any debts you have to pay each month, but is usually made up of car payments, payments on credit cards, student loans, and more. With all this being said, you should note that the 29/41 rule is just a general rule of thumb. Some lenders may let you borrow slightly more or slightly less, and some types of home loans (VA loans, FHA loans, etc.) come with different requirements. Other Home Affordability Factors Now that you know what lenders will look at, you should dive deeply into other factors that can impact how much you can (and really should) borrow. The following details are worth considering as you begin searching for a new home and a new home loan to go with it. Down Payment Your down payment can have a significant impact on the amount of money you can borrow for a home. Obviously, having a larger down payment can help you borrow more since it frees up space in your DTI, whereas a smaller down payment for your home means you can borrow less. Most experts suggest putting down at least 20% on your new home, and for more reasons than one. First, having a down payment of 20% can help you avoid a situation where you’re “underwater” on your mortgage if housing prices go down. Second, putting down 20% or more helps you avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) on your home loan. With a down payment of less than 20%, the PMI you pay typically tacks on another .5% to 1% on your mortgage payment until you have sufficient equity to drop private mortgage insurance. This is money down the drain, but the added costs can also impact the amount of the home loan you’re eligible for. Mortgage Interest Rates Another huge factor that impacts home affordability is the interest rate on your mortgage, but this is one area where you have a tremendous advantage right now. Mortgage rates are nearing record lows, and paying less interest each month means you can afford to borrow more money upfront. How do mortgage interest rates affect your housing payment? Consider this example, which only looks at the principal and interest components of a loan (excluding other costs like property taxes and