DTI is the single most important number in mortgage underwriting after your credit score. See both front-end (housing only) and back-end (total debt) ratios, plus which loan programs you'd likely qualify for.
| Program | Max back-end DTI | Your status |
|---|
Front-end DTI is housing costs (PITI + HOA + PMI) divided by gross monthly income. Back-end DTI adds all other monthly debts (car, student, credit card minimums, alimony). Lenders care more about back-end because it captures your full obligation load.
Anything that appears on your credit report with a required monthly payment. Utilities, groceries, and streaming subscriptions are not counted. If a debt has fewer than 10 months remaining, some lenders will exclude it.
Fastest ways: (1) pay off the smallest revolving balance to zero it out (removes minimum payment from calc), (2) add a co-borrower's income, (3) reduce the mortgage size by making a bigger down payment, (4) refinance auto loans to lower monthlies.