To estimate your maximum housing loan eligibility in Singapore, financial institutions compute borrowing capacity using three regulatory guardrails:
### 1. Income & Debt Caps (MSR & TDSR)
* **Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR):** Maximum **55%** of gross monthly income across all debt obligations (car loans, credit cards, personal loans, and the new mortgage).
* **Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR):** Applies strictly to **HDB flats and ECs**, capping monthly mortgage instalments at **30%** of gross monthly income.
* **Variable Income Haircut:** Commission, bonuses, and rental income face a mandatory **30% haircut** (assessed at 70% of actual value).
### 2. Regulatory Stress-Test Interest Rates
Banks calculate affordability using an MAS medium-term stress-test interest floor:
* **Residential Bank Loans:** Tested at **4.0% p.a.** (regardless of prevailing promotional market rates).
* **HDB Concessionary Loans:** Tested at **3.0% p.a.**
### 3. Maximum Tenure & Loan-to-Value (LTV)
* **Tenure:** Up to **30 years** for private properties (or age 65) for maximum 75% LTV. For HDB bank loans, the maximum tenure is **30 years** (capped at 25 years under MSR calculations).
* **LTV Ceiling:** Maximum **75%** financing for a first housing loan (minimum 25% downpayment: at least 5% in cash, balance in CPF OA/cash).
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### Estimation Formula Example
For an applicant earning **S$7,000/month** (fixed income) with zero existing debts purchasing a private property (30-year tenure at 4.0% stress rate, 55% TDSR):
* **Max Allowable Monthly Instalment:** $\text{S}\$7,000 \times 55\% = \text{S}\$3,850$
* **Supported Maximum Loan Limit:** $\approx \mathbf{\text{S}\$806,000}$
For an HDB purchase under MSR (30% cap, 25-year tenure at 4.0%):
* **Max Allowable Monthly Instalment:** $\text{S}\$7,000 \times 30\% = \text{S}\$2,100$
* **Supported Maximum Loan Limit:** $\approx \mathbf{\text{S}\$398,000}$
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Gan Eng Joo Onassis 颜荣裕, REALTOR®
MSc BIT (Middlesex, England, United Kingdom); BBA (South Australia)
CEA Reg No: R021244C | Singapore Line:
(+65) 88899918
Email: onassis@sgagent.com
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