I apologize, I was thinking of my own personal income (the 50%# i was referring to) without including my wife's income in as well (which is 2/3rds of mine in addition). 650mg of OXYCODONE every 4-6 hours will do that to you. Although we can live without want on the other 50%, which we did when when we were unemployed , not at the same time, for a total of 2.25 years within the last 5 years.
I'm saying mortgage payment period. You were correct in that you are not taking into account is the percentage down, which I always put a significant % down, and always having savings that well exceed the amount of the loan (actually the value of house).
This discussion has been predicated in the payment amount as a percentage of income, which is exactly the wrong way to look at it. What one really has to look at is how far they are LEVERAGED in the amount they owe on a house.
You shouldn't focus as whether you can afford to make the monthly payments should your income collapse, but if you are positioned to protect your investment, and way of life, when it happens.
My current situation: $40k down, $125k financed, Monthly payment <15% of monthly gross( nowhere NEAR $2k), House will be payed off in 17 years total (or 6.5 years from now) as I pay extra each month. Retirement and savings could pay off mortgage multiple times over after penalties and taxes.
Should I want to upgrade to a $300k+ house, I would not leverage myself by financing all of it, just enough to keep all the parameters in line with my current status.