However, it's really more of a guideline than a hard-and-fast rule. Many types of mortgages available today allow debt levels that exceed the 28/36 rule. But following this "rule" can help ensure that your monthly mortgage payment is affordable for your budget.
A household should spend a maximum of 28% of its gross monthly income on total housing expenses according to this rule, and no more than 36% on total debt service. This includes housing and other debt such as car loans and credit cards. Lenders often use this rule to assess whether to extend credit to borrowers.
A good way to remember the documentation you'll need is to remember the 2-2-2 rule: 2 years of W-2s. 2 years of tax returns (federal and state) Your two most recent pay stubs.
They believe you should spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage payment, have at least 30% of the value of your home saved up in liquid or semi-liquid accounts, and look for houses no more than 3x your annual household income.
Real estate's 80/20 Rule refers to the LTV ratio, a primary element of all lenders' Risk Management. A mortgage loan's initial Loan-To-Value (LTV) ratio represents the relationship between the buyer's down payment and the property's value (20% down = 80% LTV).
While the world of personal finance provides a percentage guideline for how much of your money should go toward housing, this rule is a little outdated in 2024. Rent prices are down from their peak in August of 2022, but they're still dramatically higher than before the pandemic.
The 28% rule
To gauge how much you can afford using this rule, multiply your monthly gross income by 28%. For example, if you make $10,000 every month, multiply $10,000 by 0.28 to get $2,800. Using these figures, your monthly mortgage payment should be no more than $2,800.
By making 2 additional principal payments each year, you'll pay off your loan significantly faster: Without extra payments: 30 years. With 2 extra payments per year: About 24 years and 7 months.
Maximum household expenses shouldn't exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. This includes everything within your home mortgage. Total household debt shouldn't exceed more than 36% of your gross monthly income. This is also known as your debt-to-income ratio.
The Rule of 28 – Your monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. This is often considered the “Golden Rule,” and many lenders abide by it.
What Is Rule 42? As the name implies, the Rule of 42 is an investing strategy that calls for you to include at least 42 different equities and other assets in your portfolio. You can have more if you want, but you should have no less than 42 — and only a small amount of money invested in each.
While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reports that banks will qualify mortgage amounts that are up to 43% of a borrower's monthly income, you might not want to take on that much debt. "You want to make sure that your monthly mortgage is no more than 28% of your gross monthly income," says Reyes.
For example, if your interest rate is 6 percent, you would divide 0.06 by 12 to get a monthly rate of 0.005. You would then multiply this number by the amount of your loan to calculate your loan payment. If your loan amount is $100,000, you would multiply $100,000 by 0.005 for a monthly payment of $500.
Timing Requirements – The “3/7/3 Rule”
The initial Truth in Lending Statement must be delivered to the consumer within 3 business days of the receipt of the loan application by the lender. The TILA statement is presumed to be delivered to the consumer 3 business days after it is mailed.
"House poor" is a term used to describe a person who spends a large proportion of their total income on homeownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance, and utilities.
Paying your mortgage weekly or fortnightly instead of monthly could reduce the total interest you pay over the life of the loan. Even though monthly repayments are the most common choice, it also results in the highest total interest repayments over time.
Paying a little extra towards your mortgage can go a long way. Making your normal monthly payments will pay down, or amortize, your loan. However, if it fits within your budget, paying extra toward your principal can be a great way to lessen the time it takes to repay your loans and the amount of interest you'll pay.
Section 17 allows a mortgagor (i.e. the borrower) to give the mortgagee (the lender) three months' notice of his or her intention to repay the mortgage debt or, in the alternative, pay three months' interest on the amount in arrears without any notice after a default.
The Bottom Line. On a $70,000 salary using a 50% DTI, you could potentially afford a house worth between $200,000 to $250,000, depending on your specific financial situation.
Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
First, calculate your monthly take-home pay, then multiply it by 0.70 to get the amount you can spend on living expenses and discretionary purchases, such as entertainment and travel. Next, multiply your monthly income by 0.20 to get your savings allotment and 0.10 to get your debt repayment.
The traditional rule of thumb is that no more than 28 percent of your monthly gross income or 25 percent of your net income should go to your mortgage payment.