LIVE RESULT
Target home
—/100
Calculating
Enter your scenario
Your results update automatically as you edit the inputs.
Limiting factor: —
US HOME AFFORDABILITY — FULL-COST VIEW
Can you afford the home—not just the mortgage?
Model your lender-style payment, real homeowner budget, cash after closing, safe purchase price, time to afford, and long-term rent-versus-buy wealth.
Calculates in your browser
No account required
Editable assumptions
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Example result
Detailed estimate
74/100
Verdict
Possible, but cash is the constraint
- Full monthly cost
- $4,382
- Cash to close
- $139,500
- Safe price today
- $508,000
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YOUR SCENARIO
Build the estimate
MONTHLY COST
Where the owner payment goes
AFFORDABILITY CHECKS
Budget and lender-style ratios
Full owner cost / take-home payYour personal cash-flow measure
——
Front-end DTIPITI + HOA + mortgage insurance ÷ gross income
——
Back-end DTIHousing payment + other monthly debt ÷ gross income
——
Cash reserves after closingMeasured against your full monthly burn
——
Monthly breathing roomTake-home income minus debts, spending, and owner costs
——
RENT VS. BUY
Projected net wealth
Buyer net wealth—
Renter net wealth—
Break-even point—
—
View year-by-year figures
| Year | Home value | Loan balance | Buyer wealth | Renter wealth | Difference |
|---|
SENSITIVITY
What changes the result most?
| Scenario | Full monthly cost | Back-end DTI | Cash to close | Score |
|---|
NEXT MOVES
How to improve this scenario
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Educational estimate only. This is not a mortgage preapproval, lender underwriting result, financial advice, tax advice, or a guarantee of future home values, rates, taxes, insurance, or investment returns.
RESEARCH-BACKED STRUCTURE
Designed around the costs buyers often miss.
The calculator separates lender-style housing expenses from the fuller household budget, then models cash reserves and rent-versus-buy wealth. Every assumption is visible and editable.
Read methodology and official sources →Gross-income DTI
Debt-to-income uses gross monthly income and recurring debt obligations.
Cash to close
Down payment, closing costs, loan fees, points, repairs, moving costs, and credits are included.
True owner budget
Taxes, insurance, HOA, mortgage insurance, maintenance, utilities, and other owner costs are modeled.
Opportunity cost
The rent-vs-buy model invests unused upfront cash and monthly cost differences for both paths.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you rely on the result
Does a “safe” result mean a lender will approve me?
No. Lenders evaluate credit, income documentation, assets, property eligibility, loan program requirements, reserves, and other factors. This tool is a planning model, not underwriting.
Why does the calculator use both gross and take-home income?
Gross income is used for lender-style debt-to-income ratios. Take-home income is used to show how the payment affects the money actually available for spending and saving.
Why is maintenance included?
Maintenance is not normally part of a lender’s monthly mortgage payment, but it is a real homeowner cost. The default is editable because age, condition, climate, and property type matter.
Why is the tax benefit set to zero?
Mortgage-interest and property-tax benefits depend on current law and whether itemizing produces an incremental benefit over the standard deduction. Enter a tax estimate only when you have reliable guidance.