How To Use The Mortgage Calculator

Home Value: The existing value in US dollars of the house, townhouse, or condo

Down Payment: Enter a dollar amount or percentage that you will be paying at closing. A 20% down payment is needed to avoid PMI.

Mortgage Amount: This field will automatically update based on the home value and down payment fields

Interest Rate: Enter the interest rate of your mortgage

PMI/Year: This is an estimate of the amount of private mortgage insurance (PMI) you will pay every month. Try to avoid PMI as much as possible as you will never get this money back.

Amortization Period: Enter the number of years or months you plan on paying your mortgage

Payment Frequency: Typically payments are made monthly, but some people prefer to pay bi-weekly

Start Date: Enter the date you will close on the home and mortgage

Closing Costs: Consult with your mortgage broker to see, what, if any closing costs you will have. Typically the higher the closing costs, the lower your interest rate will be.

Property taxes/year: This varies by town and city. Consult with public records to find out how much the property taxes are for a paticular home

Home insurance/year: Receive a free quote from your insurance broker, and enter that annual amount in this field. Home owner’s insurance can be escrowed along with real estate taxes

HOA Fees/month: If you have any home owner’s association fees, such as a condo fee, enter it here