Debt to Income Ratio for Mortgage: Everything You Need to Know
A debt to income ratio plays an important role when applying for a mortgage or other types of loans. This ratio measures the amount of debt that a borrower has compared to their monthly income, and it can be used by lenders to determine a borrower’s ability to make timely payments. Generally, lenders prefer to see a debt to income ratio below 40%, meaning that the borrower’s income is at least two and half times greater than their total monthly debt payments. A high debt to income ratio can indicate to lenders that a borrower is overextended and might be at greater risk for defaulting on a loan. For this reason, lenders may refuse to offer a loan to someone whose debt to income ratio is too high, and a borrower may need to take steps to reduce their debt or increase their income in order to obtain more favorable loan terms.