[disneysteve]

Haven't we had this conversation already?

Anyway, rule of thumb is no more than 28% of income to housing, including principal, interest, taxes and insurance, and no more than 36% of income to debt payments overall.

I think you are going about this wrong. You need to look at the big picture - mortgage (and related expenses) AND his CC debt and student loans all together, and joint total income. I understand that you want him to focus on repaying debt (especially the CCs) but you are going to be married. You need to handle finances as a team and look at everything together to decide what you can and can't afford and how best to divide up the household income. It might make more sense in the long run, for example, to go a little slower on the student loan repayment in order to get a better house in a better neighborhood and better school district (if you plan to have children) rather than buying something cheaper that you will want to upgrade in a few years. Moving costs money. Furnishing a new home costs money. Each time you move, you incur costs. If you can buy the "keeper" home right away and skip the "starter" home, you'll probably be better off. Even if that means he takes a little longer to repay his student loans.