FHA Qualification Calculator

Check one specific home against FHA rules: the 2026 county loan limit for its unit count, the minimum down payment for your credit score, upfront and annual MIP, the full monthly payment, your debt-to-income ratios and the minimum income you need, rental income and the self-sufficiency test for 2-4 units, and cash to close.

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The six checks an FHA lender runs on a specific home

Most affordability calculators start with your income and tell you a price. A real offer works the other way round: you have found a home, and the question is whether FHA will finance that one. A lender runs it through the same checks this calculator does, in roughly this order.

  • Loan limit. The base loan has to fit under the 2026 FHA limit for that county and that number of units. If it does not, no income fixes it; only a larger down payment does.
  • Down payment. 3.5% with a 580 score, 10% between 500 and 579. That sets the loan-to-value, which in turn sets the mortgage insurance.
  • Mortgage insurance. 1.75% upfront, added to the loan, plus an annual premium paid monthly.
  • Payment. Principal and interest on the loan including the upfront premium, the annual MIP, property tax, insurance and any HOA fee.
  • Income. The payment against your gross income (the housing ratio) and the payment plus your other debts (the total debt ratio).
  • Cash. The down payment and closing costs, less any seller credit, plus reserves on 3-4 unit homes.

A worked example: a $400,000 single-family home with 3.5% down at 6.25% for 30 years borrows $386,000, adds $6,755 of upfront MIP for a $392,755 loan, and pays about $2,418 principal and interest, $176 MIP, $367 tax and $150 insurance, $3,111 a month in all. At 31% that needs about $10,036 a month of gross income. To compare that payment with a conventional loan, run the same price through the mortgage calculator; if you would rather start from your income, the home affordability calculator works the other way round.

2026 FHA loan limits: why the county and the unit count both matter

FHA loan limits are set county by county from local median prices, between a national floor and ceiling that track the conforming loan limit. For 2026 they apply to case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026 (HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2025-23):

  • One unit (including condos): $541,287 floor, $1,249,125 ceiling.
  • Two units: $693,050 to $1,599,375.
  • Three units: $837,700 to $1,933,200.
  • Four units: $1,041,125 to $2,402,625.

Two details trip buyers up. First, the limit applies to the base loan, before the upfront premium is financed, so a $541,287 base loan becomes a $550,759 note and is still within the limit. Second, the unit count changes the limit a lot: in a floor county a $600,000 single-family home at 3.5% down needs $37,713 more down to fit, while a $600,000 duplex fits with room to spare. The county figures in this calculator come from HUD's 2026 forward-mortgage limit file (CHUMS data files); you can confirm any county on HUD's loan limit lookup.

FHA mortgage insurance: what you actually pay and for how long

Every FHA loan carries two premiums. The upfront premium is 1.75% of the base loan, almost always financed. The annual premium is quoted as a yearly percentage and collected monthly. The current chart has been in force since March 20, 2023 (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2023-05, now Appendix 1.0 of Handbook 4000.1):

  • Over 15 years, base loan up to $726,200: 0.55% above 95% LTV, 0.50% from 90% to 95%, both for the life of the loan; 0.50% for 11 years at 90% LTV or less.
  • Over 15 years, base loan above $726,200: 0.75%, 0.70% and 0.70% on the same bands, with the same durations.
  • 15 years or less, up to $726,200: 0.40% above 90% LTV for the life of the loan; 0.15% for 11 years at 90% or less.
  • 15 years or less, above $726,200: 0.65% above 90%, 0.40% from 78% to 90% and 0.15% at 78% or less (both for 11 years).

The 10% line matters most. With 3.5% down, the premium never cancels on its own; with 10% down it stops after 11 years. On the $386,000 example loan, year-one MIP is about $176 a month, which is the annual rate applied to the average scheduled balance for the year, so it falls slowly as you pay the loan down. Note that the $726,200 MIP threshold is fixed in the chart and is not the same as your county loan limit.

House hacking a duplex, triplex or fourplex with FHA

FHA is one of the few ways to buy a 2-4 unit building with 3.5% down, provided you live in one of the units. At least one borrower must move in within 60 days of closing and intend to stay at least a year (Handbook 4000.1, II.A.1.b.iii). Three rules shape the numbers.

  • Rent counts as income, at 75%. The lender adds 75% of the lower of the appraiser's market rent or the lease for each unit you will not occupy to your income. It does not reduce the payment, so a high payment still shows up in your ratios (II.A.4.c.xii).
  • Self-sufficiency on 3-4 units. Market rent from all units, your own included, less the greater of the appraiser's vacancy factor or 25%, must cover the full payment (II.A.1.b.iv). Your salary cannot rescue a building that fails this test.
  • Reserves on 3-4 units. You need three months of payments left in the bank after closing (II.A.4.d.i).

If a fourplex fails self-sufficiency, the calculator shows how much more monthly rent would make it pass, which is a quick way to judge whether the asking rents are realistic. For the investment side, run the same building through the rental property calculator and the cash-on-cash return calculator.

Condos, appraisals and the property itself

Qualifying is only half the job; the home has to qualify too.

  • Condos need approval. Either the project is on HUD's approved list or the lender obtains a Single-Unit Approval for your unit, which needs a completed project of at least five units, room under FHA's concentration cap, and an automated Accept (or 90% LTV if manually underwritten). Check HUD's condominium lookup before you offer.
  • Minimum Property Requirements. The FHA appraiser checks safety, security and soundness. Failing items, such as a damaged roof, missing handrails or peeling paint on a pre-1978 home, usually have to be repaired before closing.
  • Seller credits. Up to 6% of the price can go toward closing costs, prepaid items, points and the upfront MIP, but never toward the 3.5% minimum investment (II.A.4.d.iii).
  • Cash to close. Down payment plus closing costs, less the seller credit. Use the closing costs calculator for a line-by-line estimate and the down payment calculator to plan how long saving will take.

This calculator is an estimate built from HUD's published rules. A lender will add its own overlays, verify your income and debts, and order the appraisal, so treat a pass here as a strong signal rather than an approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the FHA Qualification Calculator

HUD sets two tiers. With a minimum decision credit score of 580 or higher you can borrow up to 96.5% of the price, so the minimum down payment is 3.5%. Between 500 and 579 the loan is capped at 90% loan-to-value, so you need 10% down. Below 500 you are not eligible for FHA at all (HUD Handbook 4000.1, II.A.1.b and II.A.2.b). Lenders can set higher floors of their own, and many do at 620, so a 580 score can still mean shopping several lenders. With joint borrowers the lowest middle score among them is the one that counts.

Sources & References

HUD Handbook 4000.1 (revised August 12, 2026)

FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook.
- Credit score tiers (500-579 at 90% LTV, 580+ at 96.5%), 31/43 manual ratios, rental income at 75%, 3-4 unit self-sufficiency and reserves.
- Interested party contributions capped at 6% of the sales price.
→Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(2026)

Annual MIP rates (Mortgagee Letter 2023-05)

Current FHA mortgage insurance chart, effective March 20, 2023.
- UFMIP 1.75%; annual MIP 0.55% above 95% LTV on 30-year loans up to $726,200.
- MIP cancels after 11 years only at 90% LTV or less.
→Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(2023)

2026 FHA loan limits (Mortgagee Letter 2025-23)

Nationwide forward mortgage limits for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026.
- One unit: $541,287 floor, $1,249,125 ceiling.
- Two to four units rise to $2,402,625 in high-cost areas.
→Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(2025)

FHA county loan limit file (CY2026)

HUD's county-level forward mortgage limit data used for the county lookup in this calculator.
- 3,235 counties and county equivalents, limits for 1 to 4 units.
→Source: HUD CHUMS data files(2026)

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