See the real monthly cost of a home
before you fall in love with one.
Free calculators and plain-English guides for first-time buyers. Estimate your payment with taxes, insurance, PMI, HOA, and closing costs included.
- Includes taxes, insurance, PMI, and HOA by default
- Built specifically for first-time buyers
- Plain-English guidance with transparent assumptions
Prefer to read first? Read the affordability guide →
Quick preview
Estimated monthly payment
This is the number most buyers underestimate — the full monthly payment after taxes, insurance, and PMI.
Transparent assumptions
See how taxes, insurance, PMI, and closing costs are estimated — no black boxes.
Built for first-time buyers
Plain-English tools and guides — no lender jargon, no pre-approval games.
Independent and free
No mortgage sales pitch. No teaser payment math. No email required.
Not sure where to start?
Follow the three-step path most buyers should take.
Work through these tools in order and you’ll know exactly what you can afford, what it will cost monthly, and how much cash you’ll need to close.
Find your safe price range
Start with your income and debts. The affordability calculator uses the 28/36 rule to show a price you can afford without becoming house-poor.
Run affordability calculatorSee the full monthly payment
Plug in a home price and get the real monthly number — principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, PMI, and HOA in one figure.
Try mortgage calculatorPlan the cash you need to close
Estimate closing costs, prepaid escrows, and total cash-to-close so nothing surprises you at the signing table.
Estimate closing costsCore tools
Calculators that reflect the full cost of homeownership.
No teaser math or low-ball estimates. Taxes, insurance, PMI, and HOA are included by default so your number is the one you’ll actually pay.
Mortgage calculator
See your true monthly payment before you tour homes. PITI with taxes, insurance, PMI, and HOA.
Affordability calculator
See what price range fits your income without becoming house-poor — not just what a lender will approve.
Closing costs calculator
Know the cash you'll need at closing so the deal doesn't fall apart. Lender fees, title, escrow, and prepaids.
PMI calculator
See what PMI costs, when it drops off, and how to reduce it — or avoid it entirely.
Why this site is different
Honest numbers, not optimistic ones.
Most online calculators sell you to a lender or hide the ugly line items. We do the opposite — show you the full cost up front so you can plan with confidence.
Every hidden cost is included
Most calculators only show principal and interest. Ours default to showing the true PITI — including PMI and HOA — so your number reflects what you’ll actually pay.
Written for first-time buyers
No mortgage jargon. Every term is defined in plain English, and each calculator links to a matching guide so you can go deeper when you’re ready.
Transparent, not salesy
We don’t sell mortgages or collect your email to show a number. Every assumption is visible, so you always know what’s driving the estimate.
Plain-English guides
Learn the basics — then run the numbers.
Each guide pairs with a calculator so you can read the concept and apply it to your own situation in one sitting.
How much house can I afford?
The 28/36 rule, debt-to-income ratio, and the real numbers lenders use before they say yes.
What is PMI?
Private mortgage insurance in plain English — when it’s required, how much it costs, and how to cancel it.
How closing costs work
What buyers actually pay at the closing table, typical ranges, and ways to lower your out-of-pocket cash.
First-time homebuyer checklist
A step-by-step plan from saving your down payment to getting the keys — no milestone left out.
Methodology
Every number you see is explainable.
Our calculators use transparent, national-average defaults for property taxes, homeowners insurance, PMI, and closing costs. You can change any assumption to match your local market, and every output shows the math behind it.
These are estimates only — not lender quotes or legal/tax advice — but they’re honest starting points you can stress-test before talking to a lender.
Default assumptions at a glance
- Property tax rate
- 1.1% of home value / year
- Home insurance
- 0.35% of home value / year
- PMI (when down payment < 20%)
- 0.5%–1% of loan / year
- Closing costs
- 2%–5% of purchase price
Override these on any calculator to match your state, county, or lender.
Start with the number that matters most.
The affordability calculator takes under two minutes and tells you a price you can comfortably afford — not just what a lender will approve.