Ratio of Debt-to-Income

Lenders use a ratio called "debt to income" to determine the most you can pay monthly after your other recurring debts are paid.

About your qualifying ratio

Most underwriting for conventional mortgage loans requires 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 amount (as a percentage) of gross monthly income that can go to housing (including loan principal and interest, PMI, hazard insurance, property taxes, and HOA dues).

The second number is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income which can be applied to housing costs and recurring debt together. For purposes of this ratio, debt includes credit card payments, auto payments, child support, and the like.

For example:

28/36 (Conventional)

• Gross monthly income of $6,500 x .28 = $1,820 can be applied to housing
• Gross monthly income of $6,500 x .36 = $2,340 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses

With a 29/41 (FHA) qualifying ratio

• Gross monthly income of $6,500 x .29 = $1,885 can be applied to housing
• Gross monthly income of $6,500 x .41 = $2,665 can be applied to recurring debt plus housing expenses

If you want to run your own numbers, we offer a Mortgage Qualification Calculator.

Just Guidelines

Remember these are just guidelines. We will be thrilled to go over pre-qualification to determine how large a mortgage loan you can afford.

Foxfield Financial can answer questions about these ratios and many others. Give us a call: 720-598-8300.