Calculate your DTI and maximum loan
Results update as you type. The defaults match the worked example in Mortgage 101, Lesson 3.
Results are estimates for a fixed-rate loan. They are not an approval or a commitment to lend. The rate is an example, not a quote.
How the calculator works
- Gross monthly income. If you enter a yearly amount, it is divided by 12.
- Current DTI. Your monthly debts ÷ gross monthly income. This is your DTI before any house payment.
- Maximum total debt = income × target DTI.
- Maximum housing payment = maximum total debt − your other debts.
- Maximum principal and interest = housing payment − taxes − insurance − HOA − mortgage insurance.
- Maximum loan = that payment × [1 − (1 + r)−n] ÷ r, with r = rate ÷ 12 and n = years × 12.
- Maximum price = loan ÷ (1 − down payment %).
- Front-end ratio = housing payment ÷ income, so you can compare it with programs that also cap the housing ratio.
Want the plain-English version first? Read DTI: how much you can borrow, or start at the beginning of Mortgage 101.
Worked example: $7,500 a month, 45% DTI
| Gross monthly income | $7,500 |
| Current DTI: $600 ÷ $7,500 | 8% |
| Maximum total debt: $7,500 × 45% | $3,375 |
| − Other debts (car $400 + student loan $150 + cards $50) | −$600 |
| Maximum full housing payment | $2,775 |
| − Taxes $350, insurance $125, HOA $0 | −$475 |
| Maximum principal and interest | $2,300 |
| Loan at an example 7%, 30 years (annuity formula above) | $345,707 |
| Price with 10% down ($345,707 ÷ 0.90) | $384,119 |
| Front-end ratio: $2,775 ÷ $7,500 | 37% |
Pay off the $400 car and the maximum housing payment rises to $3,175, principal and interest to $2,700, and the loan to about $405,830, about $60,100 more. Using a 28% front-end limit instead ($2,100 housing payment), the loan would be about $244,250. Mortgage insurance, if you need it, would lower each of these figures.
Want a lender to check the real numbers?
Tell LoanFight about your income, debts and the home you have in mind. We review your scenario and connect you with an appropriate lending partner who can confirm your limit.
Tell Us About Your Situation →Common DTI limits by loan type
| Loan type | Common guideline |
|---|---|
| Conventional | Often up to about 45%–50% with automated approval; about 36% as a manual baseline. |
| FHA | Commonly about 43% total; higher, sometimes into the mid-50s, with strong compensating factors and automated approval. |
| VA | Commonly 41% as a guideline, plus residual income. |
| USDA | Commonly 29% housing / 41% total. |
| Non-QM | Varies by lender and documentation type. |
| DSCR | Generally no personal DTI; see DSCR loans and the DSCR calculator. |
These are guidelines, not promises. Credit, savings, down payment and the automated underwriting result all affect the limit for your file.
What counts as debt
Counts: the new housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, mortgage insurance), car loans and leases, student loans, credit-card minimums, personal loans, child support and alimony. Usually doesn't: utilities, phone, groceries, insurance not tied to the loan and 401(k) contributions. See the full list in Lesson 3.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate my DTI?
Add up your monthly debt payments, including the new housing payment, and divide by your gross (before-tax) monthly income. For example, $3,000 in payments ÷ $7,500 income = 40%. The calculator also shows your DTI from current debts alone.
How much mortgage can I get on $90,000 a year?
It depends on your debts, the DTI limit, taxes, insurance and the rate. With $600 in other debts, a 45% DTI, $475 a month for taxes and insurance and an example 7% rate on a 30-year loan, the estimate is a loan of about $345,700, or a home price of about $384,100 with 10% down. Your real figure comes from a lender.
What DTI do lenders allow?
Common guidelines are about 45% to 50% for conventional loans with automated approval, about 43% for FHA (higher with strong compensating factors), 41% for VA along with residual income, and 29% housing / 41% total for USDA. Limits vary by lender and file.
Does the calculator include mortgage insurance?
Only if you enter it. Conventional loans with less than 20% down usually carry private mortgage insurance, and FHA loans carry a monthly premium. Add an estimate in the mortgage insurance field to see how it lowers the loan amount.
Why might a lender come up with a different number?
Lenders verify income and debts with documents and your credit report, may average or exclude some income, use their own tax and insurance figures and today’s rate, and apply the limit their program or automated underwriting allows. Treat this result as a starting point.
Sources
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-6-02: Debt-to-Income Ratios — conventional DTI calculation and maximums.
- HUD Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 — FHA income, debt and ratio rules.
- VA home loans — the VA home loan program.
- USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program — USDA guaranteed loans.
- CFPB Regulation Z §1026.43 — the ability-to-repay rule.
Educational estimate only. LoanFight is not a lender, does not make credit decisions and does not set loan terms. Results are not a commitment to lend. The default interest rate is an example, not a rate quote. A lending partner confirms actual figures on a Loan Estimate.