Every Kentucky Loan Type. One Local Expert.
Whether you’re buying your first home, using down payment assistance, or rebuilding credit — there’s a program that fits. Compare them side by side before you commit.

🏠 FHA Loan

The go-to for first-time buyers and 580+ credit. Low down payment and flexible guidelines.

3.5% down · 580+ creditLearn More →

🎖 VA Loan

Zero down and no monthly mortgage insurance for veterans and active-duty service members.

$0 down · VA eligibleLearn More →

🌾 USDA Loan

100% financing for eligible rural and suburban Kentucky buyers within income limits.

$0 down · USDA areasLearn More →

🏛 KHC Assistance

Kentucky Housing down payment assistance for first-time and repeat buyers.

Up to $12,500 assistanceLearn More →

📈 Conventional

Best long-term value for stronger credit. PMI cancels at 20% equity, unlike FHA.

3% down · 620+ creditLearn More →

💰 Zero Down Options

Every route to buying with nothing down in Kentucky — VA, USDA, and KHC combos.

$0 down programsLearn More →

🌟 First-Time Buyers

All Kentucky first-time homebuyer programs compared in plain English.

Programs & grantsLearn More →

📊 Credit Scores

What score you actually need for each loan type in 2026 — and how to raise yours.

By loan programLearn More →

How Much House Can I Afford in Kentucky? 2026 DTI Limits by Loan Program

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By Joel Lobb, Kentucky Mortgage Loan Officer · NMLS #57916 · Updated September 24, 2026 Short answer: Kentucky lenders decide how much you qualify for using your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) . Your new house payment usually needs to stay near 29–31% of your gross monthly income , and your house payment plus all other debts can reach 41–50% depending on the loan program. A household earning $75,000 with $450 a month in debts typically qualifies for about $219,000 (USDA) to $303,000 (conventional) at today's rates. Your loan program sets the DTI limit, and the DTI limit sets your price range. "How much house can I afford?" is the first question almost every Kentucky homebuyer asks me, and online calculators rarely agree. That is because each loan program (FHA, VA, USDA, KHC, and conventional) uses different debt ratio limits, mortgage insurance, and down payments. This guide shows you exactly how lenders run the numbers, gives you a calculator built on Kentucky a...
Getting a Kentucky Mortgage in 3 Simple Steps
No confusing paperwork trails. No surprise fees. A clear path from first call to keys in hand.
01

💬 Get Pre-Qualified

Free application review with same-day answers. We look at your credit, income, and goals — no cost, no obligation, no pressure.

02

📋 Compare Your Options

FHA vs. Conventional vs. USDA vs. KHC — run side by side with your actual numbers so you see the real payment before you commit.

03

🏠 Close & Get Your Keys

Guided from contract to closing — appraisal, title, and underwriting coordinated so you always know what happens next.

Watch: Kentucky Mortgage Guides
Straight answers from my YouTube channel — no jargon, no sales pitch.
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Joel Lobb and family - Kentucky mortgage loan officer
Kentucky Local. Not a Call Center.

Hi, I’m Joel Lobb — a Kentucky dad who’s spent 20+ years helping families across all 120 counties buy their first home. When you call, you get me — not a phone tree. Questions on a Saturday morning? I answer.

1,300+ Kentucky families have trusted me with their mortgage — from Louisville to Lexington to the smallest towns in the state. Free application reviews, same-day pre-approvals, and honest answers about what you actually qualify for.

See What You Qualify For →

Kentucky Mortgage Fannie Mae Guidelines for 2013 to include Bankruptcies, Foreclosures, Deeds in Lieu, Preforeclosure Short Sale





Kentucky Mortgage Conforming loans receiving an acceptable finding through DU follow Conforming guidelines.

To be considered for a mortgage loan, the borrower must have re-established a satisfactory credit history and demonstrated the ability to manage financial affairs prudently. (“Satisfactory" means that the most recent rating has a rating of "1".) The bankruptcy must have reestablished a credit record for an elapsed time of 4 years. Elapsed time is measured by comparing the date of the application fort he new mortgage loan to:

The date a Chapter 7, 11, or 12 bankruptcy was discharged;
The date a Chapter 13 repayment plan was successfully completed and discharged. The elapsed time of 7 years is required for the following:
The date of a foreclosure sale.

Borrowers which have previously incurred a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure or Preforeclosure Sale (Short Sale) are subject to a tieredgroup of waiting period requirements. If the borrower has re-established a satisfactory credit history within a period below, they willbe subject to a maximum LTV as per the following:



Waiting Period
Additional Requirements
Two years
80% maximum LTV ratios
Four years
90% maximum LTV ratios
Seven years
Standard maximum LTV ratios

Note: Additional Requirements can never exceed the standard maximum LTV ratio

If a bankruptcy has been discharged within the past 7 years, the following items are required in the Credit
 File to determine the credit's acceptability: Discharge of bankruptcy
Schedule of creditors (secured or unsecured)
Detailed explanation from the borrower
Verification that satisfactory credit has been re-established. Regardless of the reason, if the borrower’s credit history includes a bankruptcy filing or foreclosure-related action, she/he must have re-established credit for at least four years (or as dictated by policy) and established a new payment record that illustrates a willingness and ability to manage his/her finances overtime and if applicable, under different economic conditions. All accounts must be current as of the date of the mortgage application. In addition, the borrower’s credit history must include:
o A minimum of four credit references, with at least one traditional credit reference, and one housing related reference, all of which must have a satisfactory payment history. Three of the four credit references (including anyr ental housing reference) must have been active for a full 24 months before the date of the mortgage application.
o No more than two installment or revolving debt payments   30 days past due in the last
24 months.
o No installment or revolving debt payment   60 days past due since the discharge or


Joel Lobb (NMLS#57916)Senior  Loan Officer
502-905-3708 cell
*





PLEASE NOTE THESE GUIDELINES ARE FOR CONFORMING OR CONVENTIONAL LOANS ONLY. THESE MORTGAGE GUIDELINES DO NOT APPLY TO FHA, VA, KHC, USDA CREDIT GUIDELINES FOR FORECLOSURES, SHORT SALES, BANKRUPTCY

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