It is important for you to feel comfortable with the monthly house payment. The information is simply a guide for your payment that will include taxes, insurance, and principal (the actual house loan).
Monthly Mortgage Payment Estimate
A good rule of thumb is that your mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, should not exceed 25-28% of your gross monthly income.
1. Gross monthly income $______ x 0.28 = $_______
The amount of mortgage payment you can afford may be limited by your monthly payments on long-term debt (those that will take more that 10 to 12 months to pay off). The total of your monthly payments on long-term debts PLUS your proposed mortgage payment should not be more than 33-36% of your gross monthly income.
2. Gross monthly income $_____ x 0.36 = ______
3. Monthly payments on long-term debt = ______
4. Subtract line 3 from line 2 = ______
5. Enter the smaller of lines 1 and 4 = ______
Now use the following formula to determine how much home you can afford. Start with a purchase price equal to approximately 2.5 times your annual gross salary.