Calculator · Educational Only
Prequalification Reality Check
The inputs every lender asks for. Produces a conservative, approvable, and aggressive price ceiling under conventional, FHA, and VA guidelines. Use it before a builder's preferred lender runs you through their version.
Prequalification Considerations — What Lenders Actually Look At
A lender's prequalification letter is a promise to underwrite up to a number, subject to verifications. Before you rely on one (especially a builder's preferred lender), understand what they are measuring and where you have leverage.
1. Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio
Front-end DTI = housing payment ÷ gross monthly income. Back-end DTI = (housing + all other debts) ÷ gross monthly income. Conventional caps back-end around 45% (stretched to 50% with strong compensating factors). FHA is flexible up to 56.9%. VA technically uses residual income rather than DTI, but most VA lenders watch 41% as a soft ceiling. A builder's preferred lender will often push you to the top of your DTI cap — that is not the same as what you can comfortably afford.
2. Credit score and the rate it buys
Every 20-point credit score tier (620, 640, 660, 680, 700, 720, 740, 760, 780) changes your rate. A 760+ score on a conforming conventional loan in 2026 typically prices 0.5–0.75% lower than a 680 score. Over 30 years on a $500,000 loan, 0.5% is roughly $110,000 in interest. The Credit Score Improver calculator shows the five actions that move scores 20–80 points in 60–120 days.
3. Down payment and loan type
Conventional minimum: 3% with strong credit, 5% typical, 20% to avoid PMI. FHA: 3.5% minimum with a 580+ score, 10% if 500–579. VA: 0% down with full entitlement, 2.15% funding fee rolled in on first use (waived for 10%+ VA disability). USDA: 0% down in eligible rural areas, 1% upfront guarantee fee. Each has tradeoffs on rate, mortgage insurance, and long-term cost.
4. Income stability
Two-year history of employment is the baseline. W-2 wage-earners with consistent pay count easily. Self-employed, 1099, commission, and bonus income require averaging — typically two years of tax returns and a YTD P&L. Gaps, job changes within the last two years, and non-guaranteed overtime all need explanation letters. Do not change jobs, even for a raise, during underwriting.
5. Assets and reserves
Sourced down payment (not a random deposit from a friend). Reserves equal to 2–6 months of the new PITI — retirement accounts count at ~60% of vested value. Any large deposit over $500 in the last 60 days needs a paper trail. If money comes from family, it's a gift and requires a gift letter.
6. The property itself
Appraisal has to come in at contract price or higher. If it comes in low, either you pay the gap in cash, negotiate a lower price, or walk. New construction with builder incentives can appraise tight — ask for the builder's historical appraisal success rate in the community before you commit.
Once more, for clarity. This information is educational. Heath Watte is a licensed REALTOR® in Oregon and Washington, not a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or loan underwriter. To get an actual prequalification, contact a licensed lender. Heath can recommend several — including some that compete with (not just complement) a builder's preferred lender.