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On a $180,000 salary, the affordability gap
$900,000 is what a lender will offer on $180,000. $585,000 is what most financial advisors would call comfortable. The math.
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Bank Approves
$900,000+
~$5,400/mo P&I
Comfortable Range
$540,000 – $630,000
~$3,500/mo at midpoint
Take-Home Pay
~$10,500/mo
after federal + state + FICA
At $180,000, DTI is rarely the binding constraint anymore — banks will approve $900,000+ mortgages because your debt-service capacity is high on paper. The real question shifts from "can I qualify?" to "how much of my income do I want locked into a single illiquid asset?" Stretching to the bank's number on a $180,000 salary still costs you the opportunity to invest, retire early, or weather an income disruption. The 28% rule ($540,000 – $630,000) preserves optionality; the 43% rule maximizes square footage. Both are valid — banks just only show you one.
What banks typically approve at a $180,000 income
- Bank max ($900,000): ~$5,400/month principal-and-interest at 7% / 10% down / 30-year. Pushes back-end DTI toward 43% — the regulatory ceiling for most conventional loans.
- Comfortable ($540,000 – $630,000): keeps housing costs under 28% of gross. Most financial advisors call this the "house-poor threshold" — stay below it and you have room for savings, life, and emergencies.
- Conservative ($395,000): ~20% DTI on housing. Maximum optionality: you can absorb an income disruption, save aggressively for retirement, or weather a 1-in-10-year recession without scrambling.
Three scenarios at the comfortable midpoint ($585,000)
| Down payment | Loan amount | Monthly P&I* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% down | $556,000 | $3,700/mo | Possible for conventional loans but PMI applies until 20% equity (typically 3-7 years of payments). |
| 10% down | $527,000 | $3,500/mo | A common middle ground. PMI required but eliminable with appreciation or extra payments. |
| 20% down | $468,000 | $3,125/mo | No PMI. Most conservative DTI. Maximum mortgage flexibility. |
*At 7% APR, 30-year fixed. Doesn't include property taxes, insurance, HOA, or PMI. The interactive calculator below covers all of those.
What this page doesn't account for
The headline ranges above use national-average assumptions for property taxes (1.1%) and insurance ($1,500/year). Real numbers vary significantly by state — Texas property tax averages 1.6% of home value, California is around 0.75%, and New Jersey is over 2.2%. Hurricane-exposed states (FL, LA) carry insurance premiums 3-4x the national average. The interactive calculator below lets you override these for your specific market. State-specific affordability tables (with property tax and insurance baked in) are on the roadmap.
Your Finances
Comfort Level
Most financial advisors recommend staying under 28%. Banks will approve up to 43%.
You can afford
$275,549
at 28% DTI (Conservative)
Debt-to-Income Gauge
Your actual DTI: 28% (housing: 21.8%)
Conservative (25%)
$242,387
Comfortable buffer
Recommended (28%)
$275,549
Standard guideline
Bank Maximum (43%)
$441,355
Highest approval
Monthly Payment Breakdown
Adjusting income up or down
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