The most useful number to know before you tour a single home is the one you can actually afford — set by your income, your monthly budget, your debts, and your down payment, not by a price tag. This pillar shows how that number is calculated so you shop with a figure instead of a guess.
We cover the full affordability picture: how much house your income supports, debt-to-income, down payment, PMI, and closing costs. Every figure here is illustrative housing math, not a rate offer. Use the affordability calculator to model your own scenario before you start looking.
In this guide
Every topic in Affordability & Down Payment, each answered on its own page.
How much house can I afford?
Work backward from income and budget to a realistic price range, with the DTI math shown.
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How much down payment do you need?
Minimums by program, the 20% myth, and how down payment changes your monthly cost.
Read moreDebt-to-income (DTI) ratio
How lenders measure DTI, the limits by program, and how to improve your ratio.
Read morePrivate mortgage insurance (PMI)
What PMI is, when it applies, what it costs, and how it eventually comes off.
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Closing costs explained
The line-item breakdown of what you pay at closing, and who can help cover it.
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Buying a house with student loan debt
How student loan payments factor into your DTI, and how to qualify for a mortgage while carrying them.
Read moreReady to see your real numbers?
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Michael Hernandez, Branch Manager · Pacific Bay Lending Corp NMLS #192103 · Equal Housing Lender. Homes shown are public listings for illustration of what's available in this range — not an offer to make a loan on, or sell, a specific property. This is not a commitment to lend; all loans subject to credit approval, program guidelines, and underwriting.