See what a home really costs over time — not just the monthly payment.
1. Enter the home you're considering and your down payment below. The defaults are reasonable starting points — change anything.
2. Enter up to three loan quotes you've received (rate, upfront points or credits, mortgage insurance, any rate buydown, extra principal). Lenders quote these differently — this tool puts them on one honest scale.
3. Drag the "How long will you own it?" slider. This matters more than the rate. The tool re-ranks your options and compares them against continuing to rent.
What makes this honest: it subtracts realistic selling costs from your equity, it inflates taxes and insurance over time instead of freezing them, and it credits the renter for investing the cash they didn't put into a down payment. Most lender comparison tools skip all three.
4. Open the optional panels for tax benefits, real-world extras (utilities, rental income, moving), and an affordability check. Not sure appreciation will hold up? Flip on the zero-appreciation stress test and see if the decision still works.
5. Your numbers auto-save in this browser. Use Copy share link to send an exact scenario to a partner or advisor, and Export CSV to open the year-by-year numbers in a spreadsheet.
All default to $0 so they change nothing until you use them. The utilities premium and moving costs count against buying; rental income counts for it; renter's insurance counts against renting.
Honest version: you're only credited your marginal rate × (mortgage interest + capped property tax) above the standard deduction you'd get anyway, applied once per year. Many buyers get far less benefit than lenders imply — this shows the real number.
Enter your income and each option card shows its back-end debt-to-income ratio (full note payment + PMI + taxes + insurance + HOA + other debts, ÷ monthly gross). Lenders like ≤36%; many allow up to 43–50%. Qualifying uses the full note rate, not a temporary buydown.
True net cost at the end of each year (green row = first year the best loan beats renting). Use Export CSV above to open this in a spreadsheet.
What "true net cost" means: every dollar you put in (down payment, closing costs, points, moving, monthly payments) minus what you'd walk away with if you sold at that point (equity after selling costs), minus rental income and tax benefits, and minus investment gains on cash you didn't spend. It's the honest bottom line, not the sticker payment. Tax benefits are credited once per year; PMI drops per the rule you chose above.
This is an educational estimate, not a loan offer, rate quote, tax advice, or financial advice. Actual loan terms, taxes, insurance, and market performance will vary. Verify all numbers with your lender's official Loan Estimate and a tax professional.