35 Percent Rule Of Thumb

Definition of "35 percent rule of thumb"

Paula Somerville real estate agent

Written by

Paula Somervilleelite badge icon

Fairfax Realty Elite

Have you heard someone talking about a 35-percent rule of thumb and you nodded acknowledging but the truth is that you had NO idea what in the world a “35-percent rule of thumb” means?!

We’ve all been there, my friend.

The 35-percent rule of thumb is a calculation practice that lenders make in order to determine the borrower’s risk. Actually, it’s sort of a euphemism to say they’re assessing the risk. The truth is that the 35-percent rule of thumb determines if the borrower can or cannot pay the loan. That’s why it's a “rule” and not an “estimation”. In fact, ever since the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2010, the 35 percent rule of thumb has been upgraded to a law. By law, lenders can’t underwrite the loan unless they can determine the borrower will be able to pay up the loan.

The whole idea behind the 35-percent rule of thumb is this: a borrower can afford no more than 35% of its monthly take-home pay. So, let’s say that borrower Christie has a gross annual income of $50,000 and her take-home pay is $2,095 per month. That would mean that, under the 35-percent rule of thumb, Christie could not afford a monthly payment of $1,300 (35%) or higher, for instance. Usually, the workaround here is asking for a bigger down payment to water down the size of the installments, or extending the mortgage term, and mortgage payment scheduled in a way that it preserves the borrower’s finances and prevents the financial system from collapsing from irresponsible loans that are never paid and increasingly grow interest damaging in the process the economy as a whole.

Real Estate Advice:

Does all of this seem like rocket science to you? Then contact a rocket scientist: they’re called real estate agents and we have some of the best right here at The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory®

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Large scale map of an urban area detailing land use. City plans are essential for projecting the growth, development, and redevelopment of the urban area. The major objective of a city plan ...

Typically, the term rider defines a financial concept, implying a written modification applied to an insurance policy, altering its initial clauses and provisions. The rider can update the ...

Portion of a deed that states the act and date of the transfer of the property. ...

Legal order for a person to present at a deposition or trial documents in his possession, such as related to a real estate transaction. ...

Written agreement, guarantee, pledge, or promise annexed to the land between two or more parties to do or not to do something and is transferred to successive title holders. For example, in ...

Power of attorney giving permission for a lawyer to represent a client. ...

Possession and use of a property estate by virtue of a lease. There are four types of leasehold estates: estate for years, periodic tenancy, tenancy at will, and tenant at sufferance. ...

(1) Retaining wall constructed along water with solid earth behind it. It extends the effective shoreline and protects the land from tidal action. (2) That portion of a wall located beneath ...

Individual or business transferring a right or benefit to another person or business. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions