There’s a lot that goes into the home buying process, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. One criteria mortgage lenders use to assess your mortgage application is the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Your debt-to-income ratio is a comparison of how much you owe (your debt) to how much money you earn (your income). The income you make before taxes (your gross income) is used to measure this number. A lower debt-to-income ratio tells lenders you have a healthy balance between debt and income. However, a higher debt-to-income ratio indicates that too much of your income is dedicated to paying down debt. This could make some lenders see you as a risky…