High DTI and trying to buy a home - are there mortgage options?

The “up to 57%” figure in that resource is worth treating as a ceiling, not a promise. FHA or conventional guidelines may permit a higher ratio in some cases, but lenders can add overlays and still look closely at credit history, cash reserves, down payment, loan type, and how stable and well-documented the income is.

That matters because two borrowers with the same DTI can get different results. Variable income, recent job changes, limited reserves, or a thin credit profile may lead an underwriter to cap the ratio lower. It’s also worth asking whether the lender is calculating the ratio with all recurring debts and the proposed housing payment, rather than relying on a rough estimate.

That “up to 57%” really is more of a best-case speed limit than a target. One extra question I’d ask the lender is whether the file gets an automated underwriting approval and what happens if it has to go through manual underwriting instead. The maximum qualifying DTI can change depending on that path, even with the same income, debts, credit, and down payment.

It’s worth getting that comparison in writing, since “the system didn’t like it” is about as useful as a contractor saying a wall is “probably fine.”

The automated-versus-manual underwriting distinction is especially important here. I’d also ask the lender to show the full qualifying housing payment, not just principal and interest. Mortgage insurance, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and any HOA dues can add substantially to the payment and push the DTI higher than an initial estimate suggests.

A side-by-side worksheet showing those costs, along with the result under each underwriting path, should make the approval range much clearer.