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# Student Loans Are Back in the News. Don't Let It Put Your Homeownership Plans on Hold.
- URL: https://dimerorealtygroup.com/student-loans-are-back-in-the-news-dont-let-it-put-your-homeownership-plans-on-hold/
- Published: 2026-07-12T17:56:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-20T10:46:13.000Z
- Author: Dimero Realty Group
- Tags: Buy, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, #wordpress, #Import 2026-08-19 08:50

Student loans are back in the spotlight. And whether you’ve been following the headlines closely or just catching bits and pieces here and there, there’s a good chance they’ve been on your mind lately.

And if you’re questioning whether you have to hit pause on your plans to [buy a home](https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2026/07/02/down-payments-are-smaller-than-theyve-been-since-2021/?ref=dimerorealtygroup.com), here’s the thing you have to remember:

**Having student loans doesn’t automatically mean buying a home has to wait.**

## **The Biggest Myth About Student Loans and Buying a Home**

One of the most common misconceptions among [first-time buyers](https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2026/06/22/that-house-thats-been-sitting-could-be-your-best-shot-at-a-deal/?ref=dimerorealtygroup.com) is that they have to pay off their student loans before they can qualify for a mortgage. But in most cases, that’s just not true. 

As an article from *Redfin* explains, student loans usually get evaluated the same way other debts do, like credit cards or car payments:

> *“Yes, you can get a mortgage with student loan debt.* ***Lenders primarily assess your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which compares your monthly debt payments, including student loans, to your gross monthly income.*** *Having student debt doesn’t automatically disqualify you if your DTI is within acceptable limits.”*

**So having that loan on your credit report isn’t some special red flag that immediately disqualifies you.**

Instead, lenders look at your overall financial situation, including your income, credit history, and more. Student loans are one piece of that puzzle, but they’re not the entire picture.

## **You’re in Better Company Than You Think**

Just to really drive this home, here’s a [stat](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/highlights-from-the-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers?ref=dimerorealtygroup.com) from the *National Association of Realtors* (NAR) that proves you can have student debt and still buy a home. Their researchshows **33% of first-time homebuyers still had student loan debt.**

![a graph of a student loan debt](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/KeepingCurrentMatters/content/images/20260702/20260708-Student-Loans-original.png)

**That’s 1 out of every 3 first-time buyers.** The median amount they owed? [**$30,400**](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/highlights-from-the-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers?ref=dimerorealtygroup.com)**.**

Let that reassure you that people are buying homes with student debt every day. And carrying student loans doesn’t automatically put homeownership out of reach.

## **Don’t Count Yourself Out Before You Even Try**

At the end of the day, here’s where a lot of buyers trip themselves up. They assume the worst and never even check what they could actually qualify for. But your situation is more unique than a blanket “no.”

If your income is steady and the rest of your finances are in decent shape, buying a home could be more realistic than you think. **The only way to know for sure is to actually run the numbers with someone who does this for a living.**

You may discover you’re closer to buying than you think.

## Bottom Line

Student loans don’t have to be the thing standing between you and owning a home. If you’ve been putting off your homebuying plans because of that debt, talk to a lender about your options. It may not be the barrier you think it is.