Tools & Calculators


I’ll be up-front with you: buying a house does require some math. But I promise it’s nothing you can’t master.

The bank will do its own math, your realtor will do different math…and I highly recommend that you have a firm handle on your OWN math. No one cares more about your money than you do!

Towards that end, here are a few calculators & tools you should be sure to check out. I’ve scoured the Internet to bring you only the best, most usable tools. Seems everyone and their mom has a mortgage calculator on their site, but it’s often unclear what exactly is included in the calculations (does it include tax? insurance? PMI?). Stick with the below tools and your common sense, and you’ll be golden.

> Can You Afford It? Calculator

  • Possibly the most important calculator of your life!
  • Don’t believe the bank when they tell you what you can afford.

> Rent vs. Buy Calculator

  • How to know when it’s time to make the leap from renting to owning
  • Includes the Mac Daddy of all rent vs. buy calculators.

> Search Tools

  • Comparison of the popular buyer property search tools: Zillow, Redfin, and Trulia.

> Mortgage Calculators

  • Prepayment calculator. Should I prepay my mortgage?
  • Extra payment calculator. Ways to cut the duration of your mortgage.
  • Refinance calculator.
  • 15 vs. 30 year mortgage calculator.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read through the thorough Guides which take you through the entire purchasing process, all the way to long after you’ve moved in to your new home.