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How Much House Can I Afford?

Work backward from your payment

The smartest way to budget a home is to start with what you can comfortably pay each month, then find the price that fits.

Reverse-engineer your price

Take your target monthly payment, subtract taxes and insurance, then enter the rest into the mortgage calculator and adjust the home price until the payment matches.

Leave room to breathe

A good rule of thumb is to keep housing under ~28% of your income, so an unexpected repair or rate change doesn't strain you.

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