Ratio of Debt-to-Income

Your ratio of debt to income is a tool lenders use to determine how much of your income is available for your monthly home loan payment after all your other monthly debt obligations have been met.

About your qualifying ratio

Usually, conventional loans require a qualifying ratio of 28/36. An FHA loan will usually allow for a higher debt load, reflected in a higher (29/41) ratio.

The first number in a qualifying ratio is the maximum percentage of gross monthly income that can be spent on housing costs (including principal and interest, PMI, homeowner's insurance, taxes, and homeowners' association dues).

The second number is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income which can be applied to housing expenses and recurring debt. Recurring debt includes things like vehicle payments, child support and monthly credit card payments.

Examples:

With a 28/36 ratio

• Gross monthly income of $4,500 x .28 = $1,260 can be applied to housing
• Gross monthly income of $4,500 x .36 = $1,620 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses

With a 29/41 (FHA) qualifying ratio

• Gross monthly income of $4,500 x .29 = $1,305 can be applied to housing
• Gross monthly income of $4,500 x .41 = $1,845 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses

If you'd like to run your own numbers, feel free to use our Mortgage Loan Pre-Qualification Calculator.

Guidelines Only

Don't forget these are only guidelines. We'd be happy to pre-qualify you to help you figure out how much you can afford.

At Executive Lending Group, we answer questions about qualifying all the time. Call us: 4056158543.