can someone who makes $2,000 per month after taxes afford a mortgage?

Absolutely.. lenders look at your GROSS income, not your net.. so if you take home is $2K, then your gross is probably around $2600. With $2600 gross income, you're allowed up to $1300 +/- in monthly debt, including the new housing (mortgage) payment.. Understand there is a difference between monthly debt obligations and monthly bills.. lenders only consider debt.. credit card payment, student loan payments, car payment etc.. these are items you borrowed money for and you are obligated to pay it back in monthly installments.. monthly bills such as utilities, cell phone, car insurance, etc.. those are not debt since they are optional services which can be cancels any time and you would no longer be obligated.. Calculating your DTI (debt to income) ratio can be tricky and should be left to the pro's, so for this reason I suggest you contact a LOCAL mortgage broker and apply with them. Once they see your complete loan profile, they will be better equipped to advise you properly. Also, by applying with your LOCAL Broker, you have an advantage because he's familiar with local customs and works with many lenders with each one offering a different type of lending program. This is unlike the local bank which typically only has a few lending programs. The more lenders, the more lending options, and the more likely your scenario will be accepted.. Plus, the broker is experienced in seeking out the best loan terms for your particular scenario, and he has lower overhead which typically results in lower rates and fees than most of the larger lenders.. I'm a Broker here in Scottsdale AZ and I only lend in Arizona. If you or someone you know is looking for financing options, feel free to contact me or pass along my information. William J. Acres, Lender411's number ONE lender in Arizona. 480-287-5714 WilliamAcres.com

William is correct! I'm a mortgage broker here in Utah. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. We have several loan programs available. Feel free to contact me.Brandon Ermini435-668-5494Brandon.ermini@chl.cc

Simple answer is yes. Real answer is we need a lot more info to see if you qualify because the guidelines are 45% max debt ratio for conventional ( on rare occasions with many compensating factors 50%) and 55% on FHA with better than a 620 credit scor, 42% with anything under a 620 score and 10% down required on any score under 580