Home Affordability Calculator
See the maximum home price you can afford using the 28/36 debt-to-income rule, with a full PITI breakdown.
Loan balance over time
Remaining principal on the max loan at the end of each year.
Amortization schedule
Expand allYearly summary for the max loan — click a row for monthly detail.
| Year | Paid | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $27,174 | $4,004 | $23,169 | $354,262 |
| Year 2 | $27,174 | $4,273 | $22,901 | $349,989 |
| Year 3 | $27,174 | $4,559 | $22,615 | $345,430 |
| Year 4 | $27,174 | $4,864 | $22,310 | $340,566 |
| Year 5 | $27,174 | $5,190 | $21,984 | $335,377 |
| Year 6 | $27,174 | $5,537 | $21,636 | $329,839 |
| Year 7 | $27,174 | $5,908 | $21,266 | $323,931 |
| Year 8 | $27,174 | $6,304 | $20,870 | $317,627 |
| Year 9 | $27,174 | $6,726 | $20,448 | $310,901 |
| Year 10 | $27,174 | $7,177 | $19,997 | $303,724 |
| Year 11 | $27,174 | $7,657 | $19,517 | $296,067 |
| Year 12 | $27,174 | $8,170 | $19,004 | $287,897 |
| Year 13 | $27,174 | $8,717 | $18,457 | $279,180 |
| Year 14 | $27,174 | $9,301 | $17,873 | $269,879 |
| Year 15 | $27,174 | $9,924 | $17,250 | $259,955 |
| Year 16 | $27,174 | $10,589 | $16,585 | $249,366 |
| Year 17 | $27,174 | $11,298 | $15,876 | $238,069 |
| Year 18 | $27,174 | $12,054 | $15,120 | $226,014 |
| Year 19 | $27,174 | $12,862 | $14,312 | $213,153 |
| Year 20 | $27,174 | $13,723 | $13,451 | $199,430 |
| Year 21 | $27,174 | $14,642 | $12,532 | $184,788 |
| Year 22 | $27,174 | $15,623 | $11,551 | $169,165 |
| Year 23 | $27,174 | $16,669 | $10,505 | $152,496 |
| Year 24 | $27,174 | $17,785 | $9,389 | $134,711 |
| Year 25 | $27,174 | $18,976 | $8,198 | $115,735 |
| Year 26 | $27,174 | $20,247 | $6,927 | $95,488 |
| Year 27 | $27,174 | $21,603 | $5,571 | $73,885 |
| Year 28 | $27,174 | $23,050 | $4,124 | $50,835 |
| Year 29 | $27,174 | $24,594 | $2,580 | $26,241 |
| Year 30 | $27,174 | $26,241 | $933 | $0 |
How much house can I afford?
Enter your annual gross income, monthly non-housing debt payments, planned down payment, interest rate and loan term, plus your local property-tax rate, home insurance and any HOA dues. The calculator applies the 28/36 rule to find your maximum monthly payment, then solves for the highest home price that fits.
The 28/36 rule explained
- Front-end ratio (28%): housing payment ÷ gross monthly income should not exceed 28%.
- Back-end ratio (36%): all debt payments (housing + car + student + credit cards) ÷ gross monthly income should not exceed 36%.
- Your cap is whichever rule allows the smaller housing payment.
From payment to price
Once we know your max monthly payment, we subtract insurance and HOA, then invert the amortization formula — accounting for property tax that scales with price — to back out the largest loan and home price you can support.
Results are estimates for budgeting. Your actual approval depends on credit, reserves, the loan program and your lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the 28/36 rule?
- A common mortgage-qualifying guideline: spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing (the front-end ratio) and no more than 36% on total debt including housing (the back-end ratio). Your max payment is the lower of the two.
- What does this calculator include in the payment?
- It works backward from your max monthly PITI — Principal, Interest, property Tax and home Insurance — plus any HOA dues. Because property tax scales with home value, the math solves for the price where everything fits inside your budget.
- Why is my front-end or back-end ratio the limit?
- The calculator shows both caps. If you carry little other debt, the 28% front-end cap usually limits you; if you have large car or student loan payments, the 36% back-end cap takes over. Lowering monthly debts can raise your budget.
- Is this how much I should actually spend?
- It is an upper bound for qualifying, not a recommendation. Many buyers choose to stay well below the limit to leave room for savings, maintenance and lifestyle. Lenders also consider credit score, reserves and the specific loan program.
- How does the down payment affect affordability?
- A larger down payment means a smaller loan for the same home price, so you can afford a higher-priced home within the same monthly budget. It can also help you avoid PMI once you reach 20% down.
📅 Last updated: June 2026 · Formulas follow standard banking / tax conventions · Results are for reference only.