<h1 class="subject">How do student loans affect a mortgage applicaton?</h1>

I have $60,000 in various student loans, but since consolidating my combined payment is only $300/month. I have no other debt. Do lenders view student loan debt differently due to the flexibility of the loans? Also, would they look more at the total amount of the debt or the monthly payment when determining the rate and loan amount?

With 20 years experience in the mortgage business, I have never seen a student loan that was in repayment treated any differently than any other long term debt. While you may be able to ask for a hardship deferal in the future, which is the only advantage on a student loan that doesn't exist on a standard installment loan, no lender wants to anticipate that circumstance. As long as the payments extend past 10 months in the future, the lender will only use your monthly payment as part of your qualifying ratios. The total debt is not that important and would only be a minor factor. What will matter more is your payment history on the student loan: it should be perfect. It all comes down to the quality of your credit history (your FICO score) and your qualifying ratios of debt/income.

lenders will look at the monthly payment to determine your debt to income ratio and the timeliness of your payments and yes they do look at it a little differently because of the characteristics of the loan