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FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator

FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator

Calculator developed by
Harry Jensen
, Trusted Mortgage Expert with 45+ Years of Experience
Edited by Michael Jensen

Use our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator to determine what size FHA mortgage you qualify for and what price home you can afford to buy based on your monthly gross income, debt payments and other factors including your down payment, loan term and mortgage rate. We recommend that you use our calculator to understand the FHA mortgage you can afford and to determine if the FHA program is right for you.

Watch our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator "How To" video

Inputs

Amount of money you make per month BEFORE subtracting taxes and other deductions. You can use our Gross Income Calculator to determine this figure
Please Enter Monthly GROSS Income
It looks like you may have inputted your annual gross income instead of your monthly grosss income. Please confirm you have inputted your monthly gross income.
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Total of monthly payments for all non-housing related debt such as credit card, auto and student loans
Please Enter Total Monthly Debt Payments
It looks like you may have inputted your total debt balance instead of your total monthly debt payments. Please confirm you have inputted your total monthly debt payments.
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The current interest rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is approximately 5.750%
Please Select Annual Interest Rate
The length, in years, of the mortgage. The most common mortgage term is 30 years
Please Select Mortgage Term (Years)
The amount of money, as a percentage of the purchase price, you are contributing to purchase the property
Please Select Down Payment
Used to determine the FHA mortgage limit for the area where you are purchasing the property
Please Select State
Used to determine the FHA mortgage limit for the area where you are purchasing the property. FHA limits vary by county
Please Select County
Used to determine the FHA mortgage limit, which varies by number of units you are buying
Please Select Unit
Submit Valid Info to Compare Lenders and Save Money!When you provide valid personal info we may connect you with lenders which enables you to compare mortgage proposals and find the mortgage that is right for you. Click calculator for a version of this calculator that does not require personal info
Please Enter Your First & Last Name
Please Enter a Valid First Name
Please Enter a Valid Last Name
Please Enter Your Phone Number
Please Enter a Valid Phone
Please Enter Your Email
Please Enter a Valid Email
Your credit score to the best of your knowledge
Please Select Credit Score
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Outputs

The maximum allowable mortgage amount eligible for the FHA progam in your county
Estimated property purchase price you can afford based on the mortgage amount for which you qualify and your down payment
The size of your mortgage relative to the value of your property. If your mortgage size is $80,000 and the property purchase price is $100,000, the LTV ratio is 80%
Total monthly housing expense including your mortgage payment (principal and interest), property taxes, property insurance and FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium
Lender guidelines typically allow you to spend a maximum of 43% of your GROSS monthly income on your combined monthly housing expense and other monthly debt
The FHA Program requires the borrower to pay an up-front Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP). The up-front MIP is 1.75% of the mortgage amount
The FHA Program requires the borrower to pay an ongoing Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) in addition to the monthly mortgage payment. The amount of MIP depends on mortgage amount, LTV ratio and mortgage term
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How Our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator Works

To qualify for the FHA Program you must earn enough income to afford the mortgage amount you want.  This is because FHA program guidelines apply a maximum debt-to-income ratio to determine what size loan you qualify for.

In short, the debt-to-income ratio means that you can only spend a certain percentage of your income on monthly debt expenses including your mortgage payment and other debts. Our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator applies this ratio to determine your estimated loan amount.  Our calculator uses the following inputs to determine the FHA mortgage and property purchase price you can afford:

Monthly Gross Income.  This is your monthly income before deductions such as taxes, social security, medicare and retirement account contributions.  The more money you earn, the higher the FHA loan you can afford.

Total Monthly Debt Payments.  This is your total monthly debt payments for debts such as credit cards, car, personal and student loans.  Please input your monthly payment and not your outstanding loan balance. For example, if you make a $250 monthly payment on a $3,000 personal loan, you include $250 in your debt payment and not $3,000.

Interest Rate.  This is the interest rate you pay on your mortgage.  The lower your mortgage rate, the higher the loan amount you can afford. FHA mortgage rates are usually lower than the rates for other loan programs which enables you to afford a larger mortgage.

Mortgage Term.  This is the length of your mortgage.  The longer your loan, the larger the mortgage you qualify for. This is why most applicants select a 30 year mortgage.

Down Payment Percentage.  This is what portion of the property purchase price you intend to contribute.  The FHA Mortgage Program enables you to buy a home with a down payment as low as 3.5% which makes owning a home more accessible.

Property Location Information.  This information is used to determine the FHA loan limit for the county in which the property being financed is located.  Loan limits vary by county and the number of units in the property. Select one unit if you are buying a single family home or a condominium.

Our calculator shows you the following information about qualifying for the FHA program:

Estimated FHA Mortgage Amount You Qualify For. This is the FHA loan you can afford based on your monthly gross income and debt payments.  The higher your income and lower your monthly debt, the higher the mortgage amount you qualify for.

FHA Mortgage Limit in Your County.  The FHA program applies limits that cap your loan amount.  You may be able to afford a higher loan amount based on your income but your FHA mortgage cannot exceed the loan limit.  Our calculator shows you if the loan amount you qualify for is above or below the loan limit.

Estimated Property You Can Afford to Buy With an FHA Mortgage. How much home you can afford with the FHA program depends on your loan size and how much money you put down. The higher your down payment and mortgage amount, as long as it is below the FHA limit, the higher the price home you can buy.

Monthly Mortgage Payment. This is your payment based on the loan amount you qualify for, your interest rate and loan term.

Monthly Housing Expense Plus Debt. This includes your monthly debt expenses plus your mortgage payment, property tax, homeowners insurance and monthly FHA mortgage insurance premium. Total housing expense plus debt enables you to understand your total monthly debt obligations to make sure your expenses fits within your budget.

FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium. The FHA Program requires you to pay a one-time and ongoing mortgage insurance premium which are additional upfront and monthly costs.  The mortgage insurance fees vary depending on your down payment, mortgage amount and term.

Key FHA Mortgage Benefits

1

Low Down Payment

The FHA mortgage program only requires a down payment of 3.5% of the property purchase price.  Saving money to pay for a down payment is one of the biggest obstacles to buying a home so enabling borrowers to qualify for a mortgage with such a low down payment is a huge benefit.  The funds for your down payment can come from a gift or down payment assistance program but the FHA program only lends you a maximum of 96.5% of the property purchase price and you are responsible for the rest in addition to closing costs.  For example, borrowers can combine an FHA mortgage with a home buyer assistance grant to pay for a down payment or closing costs, enabling you to purchase a home with minimal personal financial contribution.  Although borrowers are required to pay an extra upfront and monthly FHA mortgage insurance premium (MIP), the FHA mortgage program makes owning a home possible for more people.  Use our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator to understand how your down payment impacts your loan amount and monthly payment. 

2

More Flexible Program Eligibility Requirements

The borrower qualification requirements for an FHA mortgage are more flexible than most other low or no down payment programs.  For example, the FHA mortgage program requires a minimum borrower credit score of 580 if you make a down payment between 3.5% and 10% of the property purchase price and a score of only 500 if you put at least 10% down.  This compares to a minimum credit score of 620 for other programs.  Additionally, the FHA program allows lenders to use a higher debt-to-income ratio to determine what size mortgage borrowers qualify for.  The higher the debt-to-income ratio the higher the loan amount you can afford.  In short, the relatively flexible qualification requirements used by the FHA program enable more borrowers to qualify for FHA mortgages.

3

Lower Mortgage Rate

The interest rate for FHA mortgages is lower than the rates for many other low down payment home loan programs.  FHA mortgages have lower interest rates because borrowers pay FHA mortgage insurance premium (MIP) and because the loans are insured by the U.S. government.  Paying a lower mortgage rate reduces your mortgage payment and total monthly housing expense and saves you a significant amount of money in total interest expense over the course of your mortgage.  Our FHA Mortgage Calculator shows you how your mortgage amount, monthly payment and how much home you can afford change depending on the mortgage rate.  

4

No Borrower Income Limits

The FHA mortgage program is available to all borrowers that qualify.  Unlike some other low or no down payment mortgage programs, the FHA program does not apply borrower income limits.  Although the program uses FHA loan limits that cap your mortgage amount, not using income limits makes the FHA mortgage program accessible to more potential home buyers.  This can be especially helpful for people that live in more expensive areas that need to make more money to qualify for a mortgage. 

5

The Property You Buy Can Be Located Anywhere

You can use the FHA program to buy a home located anywhere in the United States and its territories including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Some programs limit eligible properties to certain counties or census tracts or offer different mortgage terms depending on where the property is located.  FHA guidelines and eligibility requirements are the same regardless of where the property being financed is located.  As long as you qualify for the mortgage and your loan amount is less than the applicable loan limit, you can use an FHA loan to buy a home or refinance your mortgage. 

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Current FHA Mortgage Rates in Ashburn, Virginia as of March 28, 2024
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Rate data provided by RateUpdate.com. Displayed by ICB, a division of Mortgage Research Center, NMLS #1907, Equal Housing Opportunity. Payments do not include taxes or insurance premiums. Actual payments will be greater with taxes and insurance included. Read through our lender table disclaimer for more information on rates and product details.
While we pride ourselves on the quality and breadth of the FREEandCLEAR mortgage calculators please note that they should be used for informational purposes only. Our calculators rely on assumptions by us and inputs and assumptions provided by you, which may be inaccurate. The outputs from our calculators are estimates only and should not be used as the sole basis for making any financial decisions. Always consult multiple financial professionals when determining the mortgage size and program that is appropriate for you.

More FREEandCLEAR Mortgage Resources

Mortgage Guides

FHA Mortgage Program Guide

Review our in-depth overview of the FHA mortgage program including borrower qualification requirements and other important program information such as property eligibility, FHA loan limits and FHA mortgage insurance premium (MIP)

Programs

Pros and Cons of an FHA Mortgage

Understand the positives and negatives of an FHA mortgage to determine if it the right program for you

Interest Rates

FHA Mortgage Rates

Use our FHA mortgage rate table to review updated FHA mortgage rates and fees for lenders in your area.  Shopping multiple lenders is the best way to find the FHA home loan that is right for you

Resources

Comparison of No and Low Down Payment Mortgage Programs

Review and compare multiple government-backed and conventional low or no down payment mortgage programs to understand borrower benefits, program eligibility requirements and qualification guidelines

Mortgage Expert Insights

How Down Payment Assistance Programs Work

Learn how to use a down payment assistance program to pay for all or part of your down payment including program eligibility and how to apply

Sources

"II.A.4. Underwriting the Borrower Using the TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard." FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1. Federal Housing Administration, January 2 2020. Web.

"II.A.2.a. Maximum Mortgage Amounts." FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1. Federal Housing Administration, January 2 2020. Web.

About the calculator developer

Harry Jensen, Mortgage Expert

Harry is the co-founder of FREEandCLEAR. He is a mortgage expert with over 45 years of industry experience. Over his career, Harry has closed thousands of loans for satisfied borrowers and now offers his advice and insights on FREEandCLEAR.  Harry is a licensed mortgage professional (NMLS #236752). More about Harry

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