Home buying
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
Before you shop homes, know the number. Then find out what it costs to insure one at that price.
Interactive tool
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
How much home can you afford? Based on income, existing debt, DTI rules, and your down payment.
Income & debts
Loan parameters
Tax & insurance
Maximum home price (Standard)
$342,615
Based on 36% DTI with $50,000 down
- Max monthly housing payment
- $2,500/mo
- Max loan amount
- $292,615
- Estimated monthly P+I
- $1,947/mo
- Estimated monthly T+I
- $493/mo
Frequently asked
What DTI ratio should I use?
28% (conservative, housing only) is the traditional front-end guideline; 36% (standard, all debt included) is the most commonly cited back-end target; some conventional and FHA programs flex up to 43%. Higher isn't automatically approved — it depends on the lender's full underwriting.
Why does the property tax rate matter for affordability?
Lenders qualify you on the full monthly housing payment — principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) — not just principal and interest. A higher property-tax rate eats into the budget available for the loan itself, so it directly lowers the maximum home price two homes at the same price can support.
Does ClearValue Insure originate mortgages?
No. We're an education and comparison publisher, not a mortgage broker or lender. This calculator is a planning estimate — actual approval depends on a lender's full underwriting, including credit, assets, and PMI math. Once you know the range, our homeowners-insurance page walks through what coverage typically costs on a home that size.