Front-end DTI
Housing costs divided by gross monthly income. The conventional illustration often starts near 28%; FHA-style manual underwriting often starts near 31%.
Home · Free tools · How much can I afford
Southern California · November 14, 2026
Calculators
How much house can I afford?
This calculator turns a gross monthly income, other debts, a down payment and a rate into a planning price, using published debt-to-income guidelines that many conventional and FHA-style loans still start from. Automated underwriting can allow more, or less. It is not a pre-approval and not a loan offer.
Estimate · not a pre-approval
How much house can I afford?
Estimate only, not a pre-approval, loan offer or underwriting decision. Conventional and FHA-style ratios are common published guidelines; many loans use automated findings that can differ. Mortgage insurance, credit, reserves and program limits are not fully modeled. Confirm with your lender.
How the affordability estimate works
A lender looks at two ratios: the share of your gross monthly income that would go to housing (principal, interest, property tax, insurance, HOA dues and Mello-Roos), and the share that would go to housing plus your other monthly debts. Common published guidelines are about 28% and 36% for many conventional loans and about 31% and 43% for FHA-style manual underwriting. The calculator takes the tighter of those two caps for the program you pick, subtracts the monthly insurance, HOA and Mello-Roos you entered, and solves for the highest price that still fits. Mortgage insurance is not included, so a low-down-payment result can overstate the price you can support. The default interest rate is a recent national 30-year average, not a quote.
Who this is for, and when to use it
First-time buyers, movers, and anyone who has been quoted a price that felt high or low can use this before touring or writing an offer. Use it to get a range, then get a written pre-approval from a lender who can see your credit, reserves and the actual property.
Key terms
Back-end DTI
Housing plus other monthly debts, often illustrated near 36% conventional or 43% FHA-style manual underwriting.
Gross income
Income before taxes. Use the figure a lender would count, not a take-home guess, and be careful with overtime or bonus income.
Other debts
Car loans, student loans, credit-card minimums and other payments a lender would include.
Mortgage insurance
Usually required with less than 20% down on a conventional loan, and on FHA loans, and not included in this estimate.
How to use this, step by step
- Enter a realistic gross household income and the monthly debts a lender would count.
- Choose the guideline set you want to illustrate (conventional or FHA-style) and a down payment.
- Replace the default rate and tax rate if you have better numbers, and add insurance, HOA and Mello-Roos.
- Read the price as a ceiling under those assumptions, not as a target you must spend.
- Get a pre-approval, and run the payment calculator on a real listing before you offer.
Costs, timelines, and common pitfalls
A pre-approval can come back lower than this page if credit, reserves, employment history or mortgage insurance are tighter than the illustration. Insurance in a fire area, a high CFD, or a large HOA can cut the affordable price quickly. Common pitfalls include typing take-home pay instead of gross pay, leaving out debts, or forgetting that a low down payment usually adds mortgage insurance.
County-by-county notes
Orange County
Higher prices and, in some cities, higher taxes or HOA dues can reduce the affordable price even when income looks strong on paper.
Los Angeles County
Insurance and HOA costs vary widely. Enter a quote if you have one rather than leaving insurance blank.
Riverside County
Include CFD special taxes when you are looking in a Mello-Roos community; they count in the housing ratio.
San Bernardino County
The same CFD caution applies in some newer areas. Pair this tool with the payment calculator and a tax bill.
San Diego County
Coastal insurance and HOA dues can be a large share of the housing ratio. Use real quotes when you can.
Before you start
- Use gross monthly income a lender would count, and list other monthly debts.
- Decide whether you are illustrating a conventional or an FHA-style guideline.
- Have a down-payment number and a rate, even if the rate is still a national average.
- Add tax, insurance, HOA and Mello-Roos so the housing ratio is not understated.
- Plan to get a pre-approval before you treat the result as a budget.
A short real-estate example
Questions
Is this a pre-approval?
No. Only a lender can pre-approve you after reviewing credit, income, assets and, later, the property.
Why are there two guideline sets?
Published conventional and FHA-style manual ratios start at different places. Automated underwriting can differ from both.
Why is mortgage insurance omitted?
It depends on the loan type, down payment and insurer. Including a generic figure would invent a cost we do not know.
Should I use take-home pay?
No. Lenders start from gross income, with their own rules for overtime, bonuses and self-employment.
Can I afford more if I have large savings?
Reserves can help a file, but this calculator does not model reserves. A lender might allow a different ratio.
Where should I go next?
Use the payment calculator on a real listing and the down-payment assistance finder if you need help with cash to close.
Does a VA or CalVet loan use these same ratios?
Those programs have their own residual-income and qualifying rules. See our Riverside VA and CalVet brief and talk with a lender who does those loans.
Official resource links
We link only official government or court pages. Confirm the current version on the official site.
Questions about a specific home or transaction? Call or text 833-THIS-BROKER (833-842-7465), text us, or request a call. Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America. DRE #02004794, company DRE #02240008.
This page is general information for Southern California homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters. It is not legal, tax, insurance or lending advice, not a loan offer, and not a substitute for the official agency, court, lender or insurer that will handle your file. Rules, fees, maps and forms change. Confirm every figure and every filing with the official office before you act.