What is the 28 36 rule?
Asked by: Delfina Reilly | Last update: November 28, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (25 votes)
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.
How does the 28 36 rule work?
The 28/36 rule
It suggests limiting your mortgage costs to 28% of your gross monthly income and keeping your total debt payments, including your mortgage, car loans, student loans, credit card debt and any other debts, below 36%.
How much house can I afford if I make $120000 a year?
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. With a $120,000 annual salary, you could potentially afford a house priced between $450,000 and $500,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions.
How do you calculate 28/36 ratio?
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.
Does the 28-36 rule include taxes and insurance?
The front-end ratio of the 28/36 rule is the percentage of your income that would be spent on your monthly mortgage payment and other housing expenses, including taxes, insurance, and HOA fees.
Use the 28/36 rule to find out how much house you can afford by Chris Menard
How much house can I afford if I make $70,000 a year?
With a $70,000 annual salary and using a 50% DTI, your home buying budget could potentially afford a house priced between $180,000 to $280,000, depending on your financial situation, credit score, and current market conditions.
Does the 28% rule include utilities?
Some lenders may include your utilities, too, but this would generally be categorized as contributing to your total debts.
How much house can I afford if I make $90000 a year?
Earning $90,000 a year puts you in a good position to afford a home priced at around $350,000, as long as you don't already have significant other debts to pay. That's good news considering the U.S. average home value these days is just above $342,000.
Is the 28 rule before or after taxes?
The 28% Rule For Mortgage Payments
Gross income is the amount you earn before taxes, retirement account investments and other pretax deductions are taken out. The 28% threshold is often considered a safe mortgage-to-income ratio guideline for mortgage payments.
What qualifies as house poor?
House Poor: What It Means And How To Avoid It. What is house poor? The expressions “house poor” and “house broke” refer to homeowners spending more than they can afford on housing costs, which can include mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance and utility costs.
Can I afford a 500K house if I make 100k a year?
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.
Is making 10K a month good?
Is making $10,000 a month good? Yes, most people would consider $10,000 a month to be a good income. If you earn $10,000 a month, your gross income will be $120,000 a year. For the average person, that's more than enough to live on, and you'll likely be able to build a healthy savings with that income as well.
Can a family of four live off 100k a year?
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. Check Out: What Is the Median Income for the Upper Middle Class in 2024?
How much house can you afford without being house poor?
The 28% rule is a general guideline for how much you should spend on a house. The rule says you should try to spend no more than 28% of your monthly gross income on housing expenses. To determine what your monthly homeownership budget should be under this rule, simply multiply your monthly income by 28%.
What is the 28 36 rule or the mortgage rule of thumb formula?
Find Out How Much Mortgage I Can Afford
According to the rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your pre-tax income on your mortgage payment and no more than 36% toward total debt obligations. Your mortgage, car payment, credit cards and student loans all count as debt.
What is the 3 7 3 rule in mortgage?
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.
What salary do I need to afford a $750K house?
If we assume about about a third of your income is dedicated to housing costs, multiply that $57,600 figure by three to approximate the minimum income you'd need to earn to afford a $750K house: $172,800. (Note that this number does not factor in the upfront funds required for a down payment and closing costs.)
What is the 90% rule for taxes?
Generally, an underpayment penalty can be avoided if you use the safe harbor rule for payments described below. The IRS will not charge you an underpayment penalty if: You pay at least 90% of the tax you owe for the current year, or 100% of the tax you owed for the previous tax year, or.
What is the 50 30 20 rule?
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. Let's take a closer look at each category.
Is 100k a year good for a single person?
Generally speaking, $100,000 is a good six-figure salary for a single person. Before taxes, $100,00 works out to roughly $8,333 per month. Whether that's enough for you depends largely on where you live. Savings, property ownership, and discretionary funds may be achievable in an area with a low cost of living.
Can I afford a 400k house on 100k salary?
100k Salary How Much House Can I Afford: Example
Assuming a 20% down payment and a 4% interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, you could potentially afford a home priced around $400,000.
How much house can I buy for $3,500 a month?
A $3,500 per month mortgage in the United States, based on our calculations, will put you in an above-average price range in many cities, or let you at least get a foot in the door in high cost of living areas. That price point is $550,000.
What is the rule of 3 when buying a house?
Home-Buying Rule #3: Limit the value of your target home to no more than 3X your annual household gross income.
What is a good debt to income ratio?
A DTI ratio of 35% or less shows you're managing your debt well. This range may increase your chances of getting loans with competitive rates. It also means you likely have money left over for saving and unexpected expenses. If your DTI ratio falls between 36% and 41%, you may still be in good shape.
How much is too much for a mortgage?
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.