How much house can I afford?
Two answers matter: what a lender will approve, and what you can comfortably carry on your take-home pay. This shows both.
“Comfortable” keeps housing within a healthy share of your take-home pay; the bank limit uses standard 28/43 debt-to-income ratios on gross income. Estimates for education, not a loan approval.
How affordability is calculated
Lenders qualify you on debt-to-income (DTI) ratios against your gross income — typically housing ≤ 28% and total debt ≤ 43%. That's the “bank max.” But the bank ignores taxes, so a healthier target keeps housing within about 25% of your take-home pay — which is why we fold in federal and state income tax to estimate what you actually keep.
Next: estimate your monthly payment and cash to close, or read the full first-time buyer guide.