First-time home buyer checklist
The real order of steps, from savings to keys.
Read the checklist Free · No sign-up required
How much house can you actually afford?
Most calculators show you principal and interest and stop there. Then the real payment arrives with taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance attached and the number no longer works. This one includes all of it, so what you see is the payment you would actually make.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to us, and no one calls you.
Affordability estimate
An estimate, not a pre-approval. It includes taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance so the number reflects a real monthly payment.
Estimated home price you could support
$361,000
About $2,803/mo all-in — $2,124 principal & interest, $391 taxes, $120 insurance, $168 mortgage insurance.
A more comfortable target — the one that still leaves room for savings and life — is closer to $291,000, about $2,250/mo.
Keep your place
Save your numbers and learn the whole process — free.
Create a free account and this estimate is saved alongside a plain-English path through buying a home: what to do first, what lenders look at, what documents you'll be asked for, and what each step actually costs. Come back whenever you want — in a week or in a year.
- We never sell or share your information.
- No lead-generation calls. No inbox full of lenders.
- You are only introduced to a realtor or loan officer when you ask — and you choose who.
- Every professional on the platform is license-verified before they can talk to you.
FAQ
Common questions
Is this the same as a pre-approval?
No. A pre-approval is a lender reviewing your income, credit and assets and putting a number in writing. This is an estimate you can run privately, before you talk to anyone, so you walk into that conversation already knowing roughly where you stand.
Why is the number lower than other calculators?
Most calculators show only principal and interest. This one solves for the price where your full payment — principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance and any HOA fee — fits your debt-to-income limit. That is the payment you actually make every month.
What debt-to-income ceiling should I use?
Many conventional loans allow up to about 43 percent, and some programs go higher. Living comfortably usually means staying closer to 36 percent, which is why the result shows both numbers.
Do I have to give you my information to use it?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored unless you choose to create an account and save it.
What happens if I create an account?
Your numbers are saved, you get a step-by-step path through the buying process, and you decide if and when you want to be introduced to a license-verified realtor or loan officer. Your details are never sold or handed to a call center.
Next
Read these before you shop
Down payment help you may qualify for
State programs that lower the cash you need up front.
Browse the guides