Home buyer tools
How much house can I afford?
Start from what you earn and what you already owe each month. This works backward to a price range, the same basic way a lender sizes up a loan.
These are estimates, not a loan offer or a rate quote. I’m a real estate broker, not a lender. Your actual rate, payment and approval come from a lender after they review your application. Starting values are examples only.
What a lender will actually look at
The big one is debt-to-income. That’s your monthly debts, new house payment included, divided by your monthly income before taxes.
Credit, savings and job history matter too. VA lenders also look at residual income: the money left over each month after the big bills. That’s why two buyers with the same salary can get very different answers.
The most a lender approves isn’t the same as what you should spend. Pick the number you can live with on a bad month.