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Mortgage Calculators
Welcome > Resources > Mortgage Calculators > Should You Rent or Buy? ...

The Best Mortgage Calculators On the Web! 

Please try my Java loan and mortgage calculators. They take a minute to load, but they are worth it! 

Each calculator has dynamic graphs and charts that change - right before your eyes - as you enter different information. Try each calculator with different interest rates, loan amounts, and payment schedules. 

The mortgage repayment schedule and other reports are fully customizable - just for your home, your interest rate, your loan amount, your taxes, and more. 

Would you like a print out, for your records and future reference? Each calculator includes a View Report button. Click it, hit print, and you have a report, customized just for you... 

Should You Rent or Buy?

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

This Financial Calculator requires a Browser with Java Support


Definitions

Price of home
Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Cash on hand
Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Interest rate
The current interest rate you can receive on your mortgage.

Term in years
The number of years over which you will repay this loan.

Property tax rate
Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate
Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Loan origination rate
The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid
The total number of points paid to reduce the interest rate of your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your mortgage balance.

Other closing costs
Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total closing costs
Total upfront costs to close your loan. This is the sum of the loan origination fee, amount paid for points and other closing costs.

Total for down payment
Total funds remaining for down payment.

Mortgage amount
Total amount of loan.

Investment return
The rate of return you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

The actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to December 2003, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 11.7% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.

Monthly rent payment
Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

Income tax rate
Your current marginal income tax rate.

Expected inflation rate
Inflation rate used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at
Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission
The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment
Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Principal payment
Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Tax savings
The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $280. (At a tax rate of 28%).

Net house payment
Your house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price
Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly PI
Monthly principal and interest payment.

Monthly PMI
Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

The mortgage calculators are provided by KJE Computer Solutions, LLC and made available to NUMBER1EXPERT as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can't guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.



School Reports in San Antonio, Alamo Heights and Spring Branch, Texas
"A model of how the Internet can facilitate the process of deciding where to send your children to school"
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The Heritage Foundation

Texas Public, Private and Charter Schools: Compare them using these top-rated, comprehensive reports.
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Real Estate Tips
First Time Buyers >Affording A Home

Are you getting ready to buy your first home? It is important to know how much you can afford before you begin looking at properties. Talking with a lender and getting pre-approved for a loan puts you in a stronger negotiating position with sellers.

As a rule, your monthly housing costs should not exceed 28% of your monthly pre-tax income. These costs include the mortgage payment, real estate taxes, and insurance. If you have long-term debts, such as student loans or car payments, your monthly payments, including your housing costs, should be less than 36% of your pre-tax monthly income. Some loans, such as VA and FHA loans, are more flexible with these basic guidelines.

Depending on which type of mortgage you select, you can consider houses in various price ranges. An adjustable-rate mortgage will usually enable you to qualify for a higher loan amount. Your real estate agent can help you make the basic calculations. Remember that buying at the top end of your price range gives you more time to outgrow your home, and can save you money over the long term.

See All Tips In The "First Time Buyers" Category >
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Real Estate Trivia
Q 
What real estate board game became the best-selling game in America just one year after it was created?

A 
Charles B. Darrow invented Monopoly in 1934, to cheer himself up while unemployed during the Great Depression. Monopoly is now the most popular board game in the world and has sold over 200 million copies.
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The Heart of Texas Realty, REALTOR®, real estate agents and broker for San Antonio, Alamo Heights and Spring Branch Texas home listings, property and land for sale - NUMBER1EXPERT(tm)

John Thurman, ABR, GRI, CRS
Heart of Texas Realty

13810 Bluff Lane
San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone #: (210) 481-6767
Fax #: (210) 496-2354
John@HeartofTexasRealty.com

John Thurman, ABR, GRI, CRS, is the Broker/Owner of Heart of Texas Realty and Talk Show Host of the Real Estate Focus Show on News-Talk 930 KLUP. He specializes in assisting families’ relocate either across the country or across the street. He is the Charter President of the Rotary Club of San Antonio at The Dominion, Founder and Chairman of Gateway San Antonio Corridor, Inc, and Founder of the First Voice Networking For Realtors in San Antonio.

San Antonio’s Most Listened To Realtor and Host, Real Estate Focus Talk Show on News-Talk 930 KLUP.

RE License # 518954

ABRCRSCRSEqual HousingERCGRIMLSREALTORRELO


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