Make room for the real cost of home.
Explore mortgage payments, cash needed at closing, and the trade-offs between renting and owning.
A good place to start.
The listing price is only the beginning. A home purchase combines an upfront cash commitment with years of loan payments, taxes, insurance, and upkeep. Our tools make the arithmetic visible so you can compare your options with fewer surprises.
- A home price and lender-quoted interest rate
- Down payment and loan term
- Local tax, insurance, HOA, and PMI estimates
- Closing-cost quotes and a separate repair reserve
How these tools fit together
Begin with the mortgage calculator for principal and interest plus your own property-cost estimates. Build a savings timeline, estimate cash to close, and compare renting with buying over a chosen stay. The extra-payment calculator then explores interest and payoff time when more cash goes toward principal. Defaults are examples rather than live quotes or forecasts.
Mortgage payment
Estimate a fixed-rate mortgage payment with separate property tax, insurance, HOA, and mortgage-insurance inputs.
Rent vs. buy
Compare projected renter investments with owner equity, including a down payment, sale costs, and monthly cost differences.
Down payment savings
See the cash target for a down payment and buying costs, and how many months of saving could get you there.
Closing cost
Estimate buying costs, down payment, and remaining cash needed after your deposit and agreed credits.
Extra mortgage payment
Estimate interest savings and months saved when you pay extra principal each month on a fixed-rate mortgage.
The good-to-knows about buying.
Start with the question on your mind. Every guide comes with practical examples.
Buying a homeClosing costs vs. cash to close: what is the difference?
Understand down payments, transaction costs, prepaids, earnest money, and credits through a complete cash-to-close worksheet.
Read the guideBuying a homeHow to compare mortgage offers on the same terms
A practical worksheet for comparing interest rates, points, lender credits, monthly payments, and a planned holding period.
Read the guideBuying a homeHow to build a down payment savings plan without emptying your cash
Set a home-purchase cash target that includes the down payment, buying costs, and a reserve, then calculate a realistic savings timeline.
Read the guideBuying a homeExtra mortgage payments: interest saved, payoff time, and trade-offs
Understand how extra principal changes mortgage payoff, compare two schedules, and check servicing instructions and cash priorities.
Read the guideBuying a homeMortgage payment breakdown: principal, interest, taxes, and insurance
Understand the parts of a mortgage payment, follow a $280,000 loan example, and distinguish a loan payment from the full housing budget.
Read the guideBuying a homeRent vs. buy: the assumptions that change the answer
See why a rent-vs-buy result depends on your stay, transaction costs, investment returns, appreciation, and comparable housing choices.
Read the guideQuestions about buying a home
Are these mortgage offers?
No. Results are educational estimates, not loan offers or approval decisions. Ask a lender for a Loan Estimate to compare actual rates, fees, mortgage insurance, and cash to close.
Does a mortgage payment include every cost?
Principal and interest cover only the loan. Taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, maintenance, and utilities can add materially to monthly ownership costs.
Can rent vs. buy predict the market?
No. It projects the assumptions you enter. Try several appreciation, rent-growth, investment-return, and holding-period scenarios before relying on a comparison.