A clearer view of your next home

Plan the purchase.
Understand the monthly cost.

Estimate the cash you need to buy and the monthly cost of owning. Use your own figures or an editable rough estimate.

USD · Manual estimates · No lender connection

Start with your numbers ↓Read the home-buying guide ↓

Your home-buying numbers

Start with the purchase price and down payment. Add the monthly and upfront costs, then select Calculate my estimate. Enter 0 when a cost does not apply; blank means unknown. Use dollars without commas or dollar signs.

Your entries stay in this page. There is no automatic save.

Privacy and downloaded files

No inputs are uploaded by this tool. A downloaded file contains your inputs; store it privately. Browsers may retain form values, and hosting may process ordinary page requests.

Start with a rough estimate

Enter a purchase price below, then select “Fill rough costs from price.” Review the filled amounts before calculating. Existing entries stay in place; later price or down-payment edits do not update copied costs.

About the dated mortgage-rate reference

See the rough-cost assumptions

Blank fields receive: 20% down; a 30-year term for a financed purchase; property tax at 1% of price per year; home insurance at 0.35%; maintenance at 1% per year divided by 12; gross closing costs at 3%; $250 monthly utilities; $2,000 moving; and a $10,000 cash-reserve placeholder. HOA, credits, deposit and initial repairs start at $0. These zeroes are assumptions to review, not confirmed absence of costs.

With less than 20% down, the rough mortgage-insurance allowance is 0.5% of the loan per year divided by 12. Otherwise it starts at $0; actual loan programs and premiums differ. No cash availability, rent, credit score or affordability is inferred. Supported loan terms can copy the dated national benchmark if the rate is blank. Each copied assumption is identified in the result and download.

Working toward the upfront cash? Build a home savings goal in your financial picture. Enter the cash you will spend and keep your reserve separate. Your figures do not transfer automatically.

Home-buying basics

From an estimate to a considered decision

Read the full buying guide: choose your stage →

This guide describes a U.S. home purchase in general terms. State rules, loan programs, contracts and property costs vary. Sources checked October 23, 2026.

1. Start with your cash and monthly budget

Include taxes, insurance, association dues, utilities and a maintenance reserve alongside principal and interest. Keep your chosen cash reserve separate from closing and moving expenses. Taxes, insurance and repairs can change over time.

A lower monthly outlay does not by itself establish affordability. Compare the estimate with your full budget, debts and income stability. The calculator does not determine a lender’s approval or your borrowing limit.

2. Separate the mortgage payment from ownership costs

This model supports a fixed nominal interest rate and a fully amortizing loan with monthly payments. Enter the interest rate, not the annual percentage rate (APR), which also reflects certain loan costs. It does not model adjustable rates, interest-only loans, balloons, financed closing costs or later refinancing.

Enter mortgage insurance from an actual estimate when applicable. No automatic 20% down-payment rule or insurance cancellation is assumed. An alternative down payment can change rates, fees and eligibility; obtain a separate quote.

3. Reconcile the cash needed before closing

Enter gross closing costs including prepaid items and the initial escrow deposit before credits. Enter closing-cost credits separately. The applied deposit is money already paid toward this purchase. Current available cash should be the cash you have after paying that deposit.

The estimate subtracts the applied deposit once. It then adds moving costs, initial repairs and the reserve you want to retain. Compare these assumptions with the lender’s Loan Estimate and final Closing Disclosure, including items already paid, credits, adjustments and your contract. Complex refunds and adjustments are outside this model.

4. Use comparisons for the question they answer

The rent comparison shows monthly cash outlay only. Principal repayment builds equity, while a maintenance reserve may remain unspent. This comparison does not predict wealth or a break-even date and excludes appreciation, investment returns, selling costs, tax treatment and rent or cost increases.

The alternative down-payment comparison holds other assumptions fixed except for the mortgage insurance amount you enter. Annual taxes and insurance are divided by 12 and rounded separately; actual bill and escrow schedules can differ.

5. Inspect, review and keep your records

Work through inspections, insurance availability, title and contract questions with the relevant professionals. Review loan terms and cash-to-close figures before signing. Keep dated estimates and revise the plan as quotes become available.

This calculator does not send your information to a realtor or create a subscription. Choose a stage in the buying guide, or read about The Next Dollar.

Read the primary sources

CFPB: Figure out how much you want to spend — monthly costs and purchase budget; page updated February 18, 2026.
CFPB: Closing Disclosure explainer — payments, closing costs and cash to close; page updated October 10, 2023.

Educational planning tool. Estimates are not a loan quote, underwriting decision, investment recommendation, or individualized financial, legal or tax advice. Payments are rounded estimates; actual final installments can differ.