How Much House Can I Afford?
Enter your income and debts to instantly see your maximum home price, safe build budget, and estimated monthly payment — adjusted for your state's property tax rates.
Your Numbers
Combined income if applying with a co-borrower
Car loans, student loans, credit cards, etc.
Property tax: 1.60% · Insurance: 1.59%
How We Calculate Affordability
Lenders use two key ratios to determine how much house you can afford. The front-end ratio (28% rule) limits your total housing payment to 28% of your gross monthly income. The back-end ratio (43% rule) limits all debt payments combined to 43% of gross monthly income.
We calculate the maximum monthly payment you qualify for under both rules, then use the more conservative figure. From that payment, we subtract estimated property tax and insurance for your state, leaving the amount available for principal and interest — which determines your max loan size.
Property tax and insurance rates are state averages from Tax Foundation and WalletHub 2026 data. Your actual rates may vary by county and city.
The Two DTI Rules Lenders Use
Quick Affordability Reference
Assumes 20% down, 6.27% rate, no other debts, Texas tax rate
Now get your exact
build cost estimate.
You know what you can afford. Our report tells you exactly what it will cost to build — 14 categories, ZIP-adjusted, in 3 minutes.
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