How much you could borrow.
Why two lenders reach two different numbers.
Run the same figures past five lenders and you'll get five answers, sometimes varying by a couple of hundred thousand dollars. The calculator above can't know which one you'd be dealing with. Here's what actually moves it:
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Lenders test you at a rate above the one you'd pay, and they don't all use the same buffer.
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Bonus, commission, overtime, rental and business income all get discounted differently, and some lenders won't count parts of it at all.
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Lenders use a benchmark figure or your declared spending, whichever is higher.
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A credit card is usually assessed on its limit rather than its balance, so an unused card with a high limit costs you borrowing capacity.
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Treated as an ongoing commitment by most lenders, though the treatment varies.
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Location, type and size can change what a lender will lend against it, regardless of your income.
What to do with the number.
If the figure is roughly what you expected, good. If it's well under, that's usually structural rather than final. A credit card limit you never use, income presented the wrong way, or simply the wrong lender for your situation.
Either way, the useful next step is a conversation about which lender's policy fits your circumstances. We have access to over 70 lenders and they all read the same application very differently.
Let's build something big.
Start with a conversation. No obligation, and worst case you leave with a clear picture of where you stand.
