Short answer
Child support you pay is generally counted as a monthly obligation in your debt-to-income calculation, reducing how much you can borrow. Some programs may allow obligations with a short remaining term to be treated differently.
Plan the housing budget around the obligation
If you will be paying support and buying a home, the realistic purchase price is the one calculated after the support obligation is included. Shopping first and calculating later is how people fall in love with a house they cannot finance.
Arrears, if any, can complicate matters further and should be addressed early.
Frequently asked
Can I qualify while paying both alimony and child support?
Often yes, at a lower loan amount. The analysis is straightforward once the obligations are documented.
About the author
Abdel Khawatmi, CDLP®
Certified Divorce Lending Professional and founder of Got Mortgages, a division of Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Abdel works with divorcing homeowners, attorneys, mediators, financial professionals and real estate professionals across New Jersey. NMLS #1712023. He is not an attorney, tax advisor or financial advisor, and this article is educational only.