Should I buy a house I can't quite afford?
Very rarely a good idea. Stretching beyond the 28/36 lender rule means cutting other priorities (savings, retirement, kids' education) to make payments. House-poor is a real condition. Better: lower your target by 10-15%, save 6 more months, or wait for income growth — then revisit.
More context
Very rarely a good idea. Stretching beyond the 28/36 lender rule means cutting other priorities (savings, retirement, kids' education) to make payments. House-poor is a real condition. Better: lower your target by 10-15%, save 6 more months, or wait for income growth — then revisit. The exact answer depends on your specific situation — the numbers above are a strong starting point, but the right next step is to plug in your actual figures.
For a deeper analysis, use one of the related tools below — they take your specific income, debt, location, and goals as inputs and produce a tailored answer.