Short answer
A lender pre-approval tells you the maximum amount a lender is willing to lend you based on their underwriting criteria. It does not tell you what monthly payment you will find sustainable. In Greater Seattle, where property taxes, HOA dues, insurance, and maintenance costs can meaningfully affect actual monthly outlay, the gap between a lender's maximum and a buyer's comfortable ceiling can be significant. Understanding the difference before you start shopping — not after you fall in love with a property — is one of the most useful things a buyer can do.
What a pre-approval actually measures
A lender calculates your pre-approval amount based primarily on your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) — the share of your gross monthly income that would go toward total monthly debt obligations, including the new mortgage payment. Lenders use this ratio to set a maximum borrowing limit.
Lender DTI guidelines vary by loan type and institution. Buyers should confirm their specific situation with their lender. The important point for buyers is that lenders typically approve up to a higher DTI threshold than what many financial planning guidelines suggest as comfortable for sustained household budgeting. A lender's approval maximum is a credit risk calculation, not a life-comfort calculation.
The monthly payment used in the lender's DTI calculation typically includes principal, interest, property taxes (estimated), homeowner's insurance, and any applicable mortgage insurance. It may or may not fully account for HOA dues depending on the property type and the stage of the approval.
What a pre-approval does not measure
Your actual post-closing monthly obligations. HOA dues are real cash obligations that vary significantly by property type and building in Greater Seattle. A condominium with substantial monthly HOA dues and an $800,000 purchase price has a meaningfully different all-in monthly cost than an $800,000 single-family home with no HOA — even if the lender approved both at the same amount. Verify the actual dues, what they cover, and any pending assessments for each specific property. Buyers should calculate the actual all-in monthly figure for any specific property, not just the mortgage payment.
Property tax at the specific parcel level. Estimates in a pre-approval are projections. Actual property taxes vary by parcel, assessment value, and any applicable exemptions. Buyers should verify the current assessed value and tax liability for any specific home with King County or Snohomish County assessor data.
Ongoing maintenance and reserve costs. Houses require money to maintain — roof, HVAC, plumbing, exterior, and unexpected repairs. There is no lender formula that accounts for this. Buyers who close at the top of their pre-approval with minimal cash reserves are exposed to financial stress when the first significant repair arises.
Your personal savings and lifestyle spending. A DTI ratio at or near a lender's maximum may leave little margin for retirement contributions, childcare costs, transportation, or other regular expenses that are part of a buyer's actual life but do not appear in a mortgage underwriting file.
The tech buyer situation in Greater Seattle
Greater Seattle has a significant concentration of tech employees with compensation structures that include base salary, annual bonus, and restricted stock units (RSUs). Lenders handle these income components differently, and the details matter.
Base salary is straightforward and typically fully counted.
Annual bonus is generally counted if the buyer has received it consistently for at least two years with the same employer, and the lender can document it through tax returns and pay stubs. A bonus that is variable year-to-year may be averaged, reduced, or excluded depending on lender guidelines.
Vested RSUs can often count toward qualifying income if the buyer has a documented two-year history of receiving and vesting RSUs at the same employer and the vesting schedule shows the income continuing at a similar level. The exact treatment varies by lender and loan type. Buyers should not assume their RSU income will be counted without asking their lender directly.
Unvested RSUs and future grant promises are generally not counted by lenders. A buyer who is expecting a new grant tranche to vest in eight months has real expected income — but that income does not improve their pre-approval today.
The practical risk: a tech buyer who has received a large vesting event in one year may have an income profile that does not repeat in the following year. A lender who averages two years of RSU income into the calculation may produce a pre-approval amount that reflects a higher income baseline than what will vest going forward. Buyers with complex compensation should have a frank conversation with their lender about how their income is being calculated — and what the picture looks like if any component decreases.
The HOA problem in Greater Seattle
Greater Seattle has a substantial condo and townhome market, particularly on the Eastside and in Seattle's urban neighborhoods. HOA dues in these properties can range from modest to several hundred dollars per month, and for some Seattle high-rise condos, significantly higher.
The listing-level HOA dues are a starting point, not the complete picture. Special assessments — one-time charges levied by the HOA for capital repairs or reserve shortfalls — are not reflected in the monthly dues figure and can add significant cost after closing. HOA resale certificate documents, which disclose the current reserve fund health, pending assessments, and financial condition of the association, are the right place to review this risk.
When comparing a condominium or townhome against a single-family home, buyers should calculate the total monthly cost at each property — not just the mortgage payment — and test whether both are within their actual comfort range, not just their lender-approved maximum.
Building your own real budget
Before setting a purchase price target, buyers should work through their actual monthly picture:
Estimated mortgage payment (principal + interest at current rate): ask your lender for a payment estimate at different price points using realistic rate assumptions.
Estimated property tax: look up the current King County or Snohomish County assessed value and tax for any home you are considering. Tax rates and assessment values vary. Do not rely solely on estimates in a listing.
HOA dues (if applicable): use the figure in the listing as a starting point and verify with HOA documents whether a special assessment is pending.
Homeowner's insurance: get an estimate for the specific property type and location.
Maintenance reserve: a commonly cited guideline is setting aside a percentage of the home's value annually for maintenance, though the appropriate amount varies by home age, condition, and type. Buyers should discuss with their financial advisor what makes sense for their situation.
Compare to your income: does the total of the above leave enough margin for your other expenses, savings goals, and life costs?
The number that results from this exercise is often lower than the lender's maximum — sometimes significantly. That difference is the buyer's practical ceiling, not the pre-approval amount.