Greg Rekitt with 2 pound yellow perch caught from Presque Isle Bay. Jim McCarthy with a perch taken on a jig while trolling a waterway in Wayne County. Joseph Getz of Nazareth displays a yellow perch caught while ice fishing at Mauch Chunk Lake, Carbon County. Walker Loveland Sr., Wallsville, caught this nice perch from a local pond in Lackawanna County.
DEFINITION of 'Housing Expense Ratio'. A ratio comparing housing expenses to before-tax income that is used by lenders to qualify borrowers for a mortgage. The housing expense measure includes mortgage principal, interest payments, property taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance and association fees. The limit is generally 28%. It is sometimes referred to as the front ratio.
Keep an eye on DTI. Howard says debt-to-income ratios are an important element in a loan approval. This ratio compares minimum monthly payments on all debt to gross monthly income. If your debt-to-income ratio is over 50 percent, you need to pay off your debt before even thinking of buying a home, Howard says.