LOAN FAQ: Loan Size

Generally speaking, most prospective homeowners can afford to finance a property whose mortgage is between two and two-and-a-half times their annual gross income. Under this formula, a person earning $100,000 per year can only afford a mortgage of $200,000 to $250,000. However, this calculation is only a general guideline. Ultimately, when deciding on a property, you need to consider several additional factors. First, it's a good idea to have some understanding of what your lender thinks you can afford (and how it arrived at that estimation). Second, you need to have some personal introspection and figure out what type of home you are willing to live in if you plan on living in the house for a long time and what other types of consumption you are ready to forgo—or not—to live in your home.

While each mortgage lender maintains its own criteria for affordability, your ability to purchase a home (and the size and terms of the loan you will be offered) will always depend mainly on the following factors.

• ◉ Income
• ◉ Mortgage-to-income ratio
• ◉ Debt-to-income ratio

Many different factors go into the mortgage lender’s decision on homebuyer affordability, but they boil down to income, debt, assets, and liabilities. A lender wants to know how much income an applicant makes, how many demands there are on that income, and the potential for both in the future—in short, anything that could jeopardize its ability to get paid back. Income, down payment, and monthly expenses are generally base qualifiers for financing, while credit history and score determine the rate of interest on the financing itself.

A lender could tell you that you can afford a considerable estate, but can you? Remember, the lender’s criteria look primarily at your gross pay and other debts. The problem with using gross income is simple: You are factoring in as much as 30% of your paycheck—but what about taxes, FICA deductions, and health insurance premiums, In addition, consider your pre-tax retirement contributions and college savings, if you have children. Even if you get a refund on your tax return, that doesn’t help you now—and how much will you get back?

That’s why some financial experts feel it’s more realistic to think in terms of your net income (aka take-home pay) and that you shouldn’t use any more than 25% of your net income on your mortgage payment.