Guidelines
What is a good DTI for a mortgage?
A “good” DTI is one that sits comfortably inside the program you are using and still leaves a livable budget. The numbers people quote most often are conventional 28/36 and FHA 31/43.
DTICheck is an educational estimate. It is not lender underwriting, a pre-approval, or credit advice. Conventional 28/36 and FHA 31/43 are widely published guideline bands; actual overlays and automated findings differ. Read the full disclaimer.
Published guideline bands
| Band | Front-end | Back-end | How DTICheck colors it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional traditional | 28% | 36% | Green — within conventional |
| FHA published | 31% | 43% | Amber — above conventional, within FHA |
| Stretch / AUS range | — | ~50% | Orange — above FHA, inside stretch |
| Above typical stretch | — | over 50% | Red — above typical stretch |
Those percentages are planning rails, not a national law. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac manual underwriting still talk about 36% total DTI, with room to go higher when the rest of the file is strong. FHA’s handbook still cites 31% housing and 43% total, with compensating factors and TOTAL Scorecard findings that can support more.
How to read “good”
If both ratios sit at or under conventional 28/36, most loan officers will call the DTI conservative. If the back-end is between 36% and 43%, the file may still be routine for FHA and possible for conventional with automated underwriting. Between 43% and 50%, the conversation shifts to credit, reserves, residual income, and down payment. Above 50%, many programs run out of room even when the borrower feels they can afford the payment.
Front-end can look fine while back-end does not. A 24% housing ratio with a 48% total DTI is a debt problem, not a house-price problem. The reverse — high housing, almost no other debt — is a payment-size problem.
Other programs, briefly
VA and USDA files use residual income and different ratio habits. VA does not lean on a front-end cap the way conventional training manuals do. USDA often cites 29/41 as a starting point. DTICheck colors against conventional and FHA because those two bands are what most shoppers compare first. They are not a VA or USDA finding.
Compensating factors
Lenders may tolerate a higher DTI when the file shows extra strength: higher credit scores, cash reserves after closing, a large down payment, unused overtime that was not counted, or residual income after the proposed payment. None of those factors appear in a three-field calculator. That is why two households with the same DTI can get different answers.
Use the debt to income ratio calculator to see which band you are in, then decide whether to lower DTI before you shop.