With $2,000 per month to spend on your mortgage payment, you are likely to qualify for a home with a purchase price between $250,000 to $300,000, said Matt Ward, a real estate agent in Nashville. Ward also points out that other financial factors will impact your home purchase budget.
This question is often on a homebuyer's mind. A $2,500 monthly payment might secure a loan amount close to $400,000 at today's interest rates, assuming a 30-year mortgage and typical property taxes. But that number can go up or down based on your specific credit score and income.
To start, here's what an $800,000 mortgage would cost at today's average rates, assuming the conventional 20% down payment ($160,000) for principal and interest only: 15-year mortgage at 5.78%: $5,324.91 per month. 30-year mortgage at 6.41%: $4,007.43 per month.
With a $60,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $180,000 and $250,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. However, this range can vary significantly based on several factors we'll discuss.
A $150,000 30-year mortgage with a 6% interest rate comes with about an $899 monthly payment. The exact costs will depend on your loan's term and other details.
Here's what a monthly mortgage payment would look like on a $1 million home assuming the same caveats as above: 15-year mortgage at 5.53%: $6,549.41 per month. 30-year mortgage at 6.16%: $4,879.01 per month.
If you earn around $50,000 to $60,000 a year or more, you may be in a good position to afford a $150,000 mortgage. But the exact amount you'll be able to borrow — even if you are in that salary range — will likely depend on several other variables as well, including how much debt you have and your credit score.
Reduce your loan term
Making the equivalent of two extra mortgage payments per year, for example, will knock off 9 years and 4 months from the total term of your loan. A shorter mortgage term also means that you'll own your house outright sooner.
With a $70,000 annual salary and using a 50% DTI, your home buying budget could potentially afford a house priced between $180,000 to $280,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions. This range is higher than what you might qualify for with more traditional DTI limits.
According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.
This rule says to choose a home priced at about 2.5 times your annual household income, but for this rule to work, it really depends on where you live; 2.5 times your household income in California, where the homes are quite expensive, might not go as far as somewhere in the Midwest.
On a salary of $36,000 per year, you can afford a house priced around $100,000-$110,000 with a monthly payment of just over $1,000. This assumes you have no other debts you're paying off, but also that you haven't been able to save much for a down payment.
The monthly payment on a $2,000 loan ranges from $27 to $201, depending on the APR and how long the loan lasts. For example, if you take out a $2,000 loan for one year with an APR of 36%, your monthly payment will be $201.
I make $25K a year; can I buy a house? Yes, if you make $25K a year, you can likely afford around $580 per month for a monthly mortgage payment. With a 6% fixed rate and a 3% down payment, this could buy you a house worth about $100,000. However, consult a mortgage lender for exact numbers tailored to your situation.
A person who makes $50,000 a year might be able to afford a house worth anywhere from $180,000 to nearly $258,000. That's because your annual salary isn't the only variable that determines your home buying budget. You also have to consider your credit score, current debts, mortgage rates, and many other factors.
For a single person, especially one who's not supporting any dependents, $150,000 is a good annual salary. Consider the average salary in the U.S., which is $65,470, according to May 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A $150,000 annual salary is about 129% higher than the national average.
There are seven markets among the major metros where a household's income must be $200,000 or more to comfortably afford a typical home. The top four are in California: San Jose ($454,296), San Francisco ($339,864), Los Angeles ($279,250) and San Diego ($273,613).
If you have a conventional loan, $800 in monthly debt obligations and a $10,000 down payment, you can afford a home that's around $250,000 in today's interest rate environment.
The amount you could borrow is based on your income increased by a multiplier. Lenders traditionally offer an amount between four and five times your income, though in some cases they may offer more or less than this. If you are borrowing with a partner there are a few ways a lender might combine your incomes.
An FHA loan is a type of mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). While the government insures these loans, they're underwritten and funded by FHA mortgage lenders. Many big banks and other types of lenders offer them.
Current mortgage interest rates in California. As of Monday, January 13, 2025, current interest rates in California are 7.33% for a 30-year fixed mortgage and 6.61% for a 15-year fixed mortgage.