How the affordability calculator works
The two rules doing the work
28% front-end: housing costs (PITI + HOA) ≤ 28% of gross income. 36% back-end: housing + all other debt payments ≤ 36%. Your maximum price is set by whichever binds first — high card debt makes the 36% line the constraint; clean finances make 28% the limit. The calculator reports which one is binding so you know which lever moves the price.
Why the honest number is lower than the approved number
Lenders approve on gross income, not on your actual cash flow after taxes, childcare, and life. Approval is a floor of feasibility; affordability is a range of sanity. The 28/36 output is a ceiling for the comfortable version of your life — treating the lender's maximum as a target is how house-poor years happen.
Cash to close, not just monthly
Down payment plus 2–5% closing costs, plus moving, immediate repairs, and a reserve. A price you can afford monthly but cannot close on is not affordable — the calculator includes the cash line so the whole picture lands on one screen.