How the Income Calculator Works

This is the mirror image of the affordability calculator: instead of starting with your income and solving for a home price, you start with a target home price (and loan terms), calculate the resulting monthly payment with the amortization formula, and then solve for the minimum gross monthly income that keeps you within your loan type's debt-to-income guideline once your other monthly debts are factored in.

California rules & 2026 figures that apply

• Typical debt-to-income (DTI) guidelines by loan type: conventional loans generally allow up to 36% DTI on manual underwriting, up to 45% with strong compensating factors, and up to 50% through Fannie Mae's Desktop Underwriter (Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B3-6-02). FHA commonly benchmarks 31% housing / 43% total DTI, and USDA benchmarks 29% housing / 41% total DTI, both allowing higher ratios with automated underwriting or documented compensating factors (Lower, DTI Limits By Loan Type). VA loans weigh residual income more heavily than a strict DTI ceiling.
• Sacramento County's 2026 FHA loan limit is estimated at roughly $764,750 for a single-family home (Community First Mortgage, Sacramento County FHA Loan Limits 2026) - confirm the exact current figure with your loan officer or HUD's official lookup tool.
• Veterans and service members with full VA entitlement have no maximum VA loan amount cap under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 - approval is still based on income, credit and the appraisal (Military.com, 2026 VA Loan Limits).
• The 2026 FHFA baseline conforming loan limit for Sacramento County (1-unit) is $832,750, up 3.3% from $806,500 in 2025; CA high-cost counties top out at $1,249,125 (150% of the baseline) for 2026 (FHFA, 2026 Conforming Loan Limit Values).

Estimates only, not a commitment to lend. Figures above reflect publicly reported 2026 program limits and CA tax rules as of this writing and can change - confirm current numbers and your specific eligibility with one of our loan officers before making a decision. The Home and Commercial Loan Company, Inc. is an Equal Housing Opportunity lender, NMLS #1665729.