The 28% rule
The 28% mortgage rule states that you should spend 28% or less of your monthly gross income on your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance). To gauge how much you can afford using this rule, multiply your monthly gross income by 28%.
If you plan to purchase a home with a spouse or partner, combine your gross monthly incomes before starting the math. The result will equal 25% of your income. For instance, if you and your partner earn a total of $6,000 per month, a potentially manageable mortgage payment is about $1,500 per month ($6,000 x 0.25).
The house you can afford on a $70,000 income will likely be between $290,000 to $360,000. However, your home-buying budget depends on quite a few financial factors — not just your salary.
The Importance of Interest Rates
When rates are low, you can afford more home. When rates climb, not so much. For example, with a 4% mortgage interest rate, your $2,000 payment could get you a home loan for around $335,000. But if that rate jumps to 6%, the same payment might only stretch to about $270,000.
How Much Income Do I Need for a $2,500 Per Month Mortgage? To comfortably afford a $2,500 monthly mortgage payment, many lenders recommend that your housing costs stay below 28% of your gross monthly income.
Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.
That monthly payment comes to $36,000 annually. Applying the 28/36 rule, which states that you shouldn't spend more than around a third of your income on housing, multiply $36,000 by three and you get $108,000. So to afford a $500K house you'd have to make at least $108,000 per year.
You can buy a $300,000 house with only $9,000 down when using a conventional mortgage, which is the lowest down payment permitted, unless you qualify for a zero-down-payment VA or USDA loan. Different lenders have different rules, but typically they require a 620 credit score for conventional loan approval.
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.
The monthly income rule
"You want to make sure that your monthly mortgage is no more than 28% of your gross monthly income," says Reyes. So if you bring home $5,000 per month (before taxes), your monthly mortgage payment should be no more than $1,400.
If you bring the national average down payment of 6% to closing and have a 7.69% rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage, that's just shy of $1,700 a month in principal and interest. What does $1,500 buy with those same terms? About $225,000 worth of house, give or take.
Generally, experts recommend spending no more than 30% of monthly pre-tax income on housing. However, it's not always that simple. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2017 and 2021, over 40% of renter households (19 million) spent more than 30% of their income on rent.
Is 50% of take-home pay too much for a mortgage? Paying 50% of your take-home pay on a mortgage is often seen as too high. In general, keeping your housing costs, including your mortgage, below 28% of your gross income is recommended.
The average mortgage payment is $2,715 on a 30-year fixed mortgage and $3,552 on a 15-year fixed mortgage. The median payment, a more accurate measure, is $2,617, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
If you make $70k a year, you can afford to spend about $1,633 on a monthly mortgage payment — as long as you have less than $500 in other monthly debt payments. You may be able to afford a $302,000 home in a low cost of living area. You may be able to afford a $247,000 home in a high cost of living area.
670–740: Good credit – Borrowers are typically approved and offered good interest rates. 620–670: Acceptable credit – Borrowers are typically approved at higher interest rates.
To purchase a $200,000 house, you need a down payment of at least $40,000 (20% of the home price) to avoid PMI on a conventional mortgage. If you're a first-time home buyer, you could save a smaller down payment of $10,000–20,000 (5–10%). But remember, that will drive up your monthly payment with PMI fees.
If you're raising a family of four in 2024, you'll need a six-figure income in 26 U.S. states. That's more than half of America where you'll need to earn $100,000 or more annually to budget for and comfortably raise a family.
What income is required for a 600k mortgage? To afford a house that costs $600,000 with a 20 percent down payment (equal to $120,000), you will need to earn just under $90,000 per year before tax. The monthly mortgage payment would be approximately $2,089 in this scenario. (This is an estimated example.)
And, here is the answer to the question: You need anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 in income to buy a $1 million dollar home right now. The reason there is so much variance is because there are so many factors that impact qualification, including: Size of down payment. Property tax rates.
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.