Not just what a lender will approve. This calculator checks your savings cushion, high-interest debt and retirement contributions too, then shows your comfortable, stretch and risky price ranges.
Median sale prices from July 2026, colored by where they fall in your ranges. Medians hide a lot of variety, so there are homes above and below these numbers in every city.
Source: Intermountain MLS closed sales, July 2026, as reported by Build Idaho.
Your comfortable price at different interest rates, with everything else the same.
Buy a house you can afford at today’s rate. Treat a future refinance as a bonus, not a plan.
Housing costs at or under 28% of gross income, all debts at or under 36%, your full emergency cushion left after closing, and money left over each month.
Total debts up to 43% of gross income with at least half your emergency cushion left. Doable for many people, but there’s less room for surprises.
Up to the most a lender may approve for your loan type with strong compensating factors. Approval isn’t the same as affordable.
Assumptions, all estimates: Take-home pay is estimated at about 78% of pay after your retirement contribution unless you enter your own. Conventional PMI is estimated from your credit range and down payment. FHA uses a 1.75% upfront premium added to the loan and a 0.50–0.55% annual premium. VA uses the current funding fee schedule (2.15% with less than 5% down on first use, lower with more down, waived if exempt). USDA uses a 1% upfront fee and 0.35% annual fee, and requires an eligible rural location and income under the program limits. Lender maximums used: conventional 50%, FHA 57%, VA 50% (VA also weighs residual income), USDA 29% / 41%. 2026 loan limits for Ada and Canyon counties: $832,750 conventional, $586,500 FHA. Property taxes in Idaho depend on the taxing district and the homeowner’s exemption (50% of a primary home’s value, up to $125,000), so check the specific property. This calculator is for planning and education; it is not a loan approval, rate quote, or financial advice. A licensed lender can give you exact numbers.
It depends most on your other debts and savings. As an example, a household earning $100,000 a year with no other debts, $75,000 in savings and today’s average 30-year rate of 7.40% lands at a comfortable price of about $315,000, with a stretch range up to about $463,000, in this calculator. A $500 car payment or high-interest card debt lowers that. Slide in your own numbers above for your range.
Keeping housing costs at or under 28% of gross income and total debt payments (housing plus car, student loans and cards) at or under 36% is generally comfortable. Many lenders approve up to 43–50% for conventional loans, and FHA can go higher with strong compensating factors, but approval isn’t the same as affordable.
A common target is 3 to 6 months of essential expenses left in the bank after closing, including your new mortgage payment. This calculator defaults to 6 months so a job change or a big repair doesn’t end up on a credit card.
Usually, yes. Debt at roughly 8% interest or higher costs more than most savings earn, and its monthly payment counts against your debt-to-income ratio. Paying it off can raise the price you can comfortably afford. Turn on “Use savings to pay off high-interest debt” above to see the difference.
Generally no, and at a minimum keep contributing enough to get your full employer match. Skipping the match gives up free money, and cutting retirement savings to stretch for a house usually signals the price is too high.
Buyers often plan for roughly 2–3% of the purchase price for lender fees, title, escrow and prepaid items like insurance and property taxes. Idaho doesn’t charge a real estate transfer tax. Your lender’s Loan Estimate will show your exact figures.
For a single-family home in 2026, the conforming (conventional) loan limit is $832,750 and the FHA loan limit is $586,500 in Ada and Canyon counties. Loans above the conforming limit are jumbo loans, which usually require more down and stronger reserves.
I’ll walk through your budget with you, connect you with a local lender for a real pre-approval, and show you what your range buys in the neighborhoods you like.
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