How to Buy a Home When You Still Have Student Loans

Student loans don’t have to stop you from owning a home. Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio, not just your loan balance.

1 | Know your DTI
Add up all monthly debts (including student loans) and divide by your income. Under 45% is ideal.

2 | Income-based repayment helps
If your student loans are on an income-based plan, lenders count that lower monthly payment, not the full balance.

3 | Boost your credit and savings
Keep credit cards under 30% utilization and save at least $3–5K for closing costs.

4 | VA loans can help
VA guidelines are flexible with DTI ratios. I’ve seen buyers with student loans still get approved comfortably.

If you’re unsure what your numbers look like, I can connect you with a Reno lender who’ll run a free pre-approval.

—
Shannon Root, Realtor®  
Real Broker LLC | NV Lic. S.191474  
Real Talk • Real Results • Real Estate  
📞 775-300-9224| ✉️ shannon@biggestlittleagent.com