Ratio of Debt to Income
Shopping for a mortgage? We will be glad to help! Give us a call at 972.359.7766. Ready to get started?
Apply Now.
Lenders use a ratio called "debt to income" to decide the most you can pay monthly after your other monthly debts have been paid.
Understanding the qualifying ratio
For the most part, conventional mortgages 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 amount (as a percentage) of your gross monthly income that can be applied to housing (including mortgage principal and interest, PMI, hazard insurance, taxes, and HOA dues).
The second number in the ratio is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income that can be spent on housing expenses and recurring debt. Recurring debt includes payments on credit cards, auto payments, child support, et cetera.
Some example data:
With a 28/36 qualifying 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-Qualifying Calculator.
Don't forget these ratios are only guidelines. We'd be thrilled to go over pre-qualification to help you determine how large a mortgage you can afford.
At Security Mortgage Co, we answer questions about qualifying all the time. Call us: 972.359.7766.