Elise, When obtaining a mortgage the lender calculates what your mortgage payment with taxes and insurance will be monthly plus any other recurring monthly obligations ie; car payment, doctor bill; child support. credit cards, etc. Also, the number in the family. If you would like more info, please contact me and I will give you email addresses of a couple lenders in the area. There is a ratio of income to debt that determines how much house one can qualify for. Hope this helps. - Wed May 20 2009, 07:57