How much house can I afford on $100,000 salary?

On a $100K salary: Monthly income = $8,333. At 36% DTI with no other debts: max housing payment ≈ $3,000/mo. At 6.5% on a 30-year mortgage, that's ~$475K in loan. Add a 20% down payment ($100K): max home price ~$575K. With $500/mo in car payments: drops to ~$435K. Rule of thumb: 2.5–4× gross annual income.

What DTI ratio do I need to buy a house?

Most lenders want: Front-end DTI (housing only) ≤ 28–31%, Back-end DTI (all debts) ≤ 36–43%. FHA loans allow up to 43% (sometimes 50%). VA loans are flexible. Jumbo loans typically require ≤ 43%. The lower your DTI, the better your rate and more loan options you'll have.