How Can I Figure Out My Debt-to-income Ratio?
To figure out where you stand on the debt-to-income ratio, you must first understand the meaning of the figure. Most lenders use the ratio 28/36.
The first number, which is also referred to as the front-end ratio, is the percentage of your gross monthly income that you could comfortably afford to spend on your housing payments or mortgage. This figure includes the money you spend on property taxes and insurance as well as the loan payment itself.
The second number, which can also be referred to as the back-end ratio, is the percentage of your gross monthly income that should be spent on all long-term monthly debts combined.
Use the following guidelines to find out where you stand:
- First, figure out your gross monthly income (your income before taxes). To do this, take your gross yearly income and divide it by 12.
- Multiply this figure by 28 percent (.28). The amount you come up with is TYPICALLY the amount you could comfortably afford to spend on your housing payments per month.
- Now, take your gross monthly income (your gross yearly income divided by 12) and multiply it by 36 percent (.36). The figure shown should be the TOTAL amount of money you spend on ALL LONG-TERM DEBTS COMBINED.
To get a more accurate mortgage estimate, tally up your monthly bills - which include car payments, credit cards, child support, alimony, etc. - and subtract this amount from the figure you just came up with. However much money is left over is the amount you should truly be spending on your housing payments per month.
Popular Real Estate Questions
Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms
When you hear a real estate agent talking about a client that's an empty nester, it means said client suffers from empty nest syndrome. But what is Empty nest syndrome? Empty nest ...
The "frost line" is a critical concept in real estate and construction, especially in regions with cold climates. But what exactly is the frost line, and why does it matter? Let’s ...
Landlord's right to receive the value of the tenant's property to pay for unpaid rents or for damages to the leased premises. ...
The definition of gross sales price in real estate refers to the combined cost of a property or listing before subtracting the real estate agent’s commission, sales tax and other ...
The depreciation method where an equal amount of depreciation expense is allocated to each full period of the asset's useful life. The amount of depreciation is computed as follows; Annual ...
Average of what savings institutions in the 11th district of the Federal Home Loan Bank System ( California, Arizona, and Nevada) are paying in interest to depositors and other sources of ...
Legal obligation to pay for a benefit received as if a contract has actually occurred. This may arise in a few cases so that an equitable situation occurs. An example is when a homeowner ...
Unit of metric are measurement where one hectare is equivalent to 2.471 acres or 107,637 square feet. For example, a 3 hectare parcel of property is equivalent to 7.413 acres or 322,911 ...
An opening with a hinged cover allowing access from one level to another in a structure. Often installed in a roof or the floor of a building to allow the entrance of people and materials ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.