Housing questions are different tasks that look alike. A payment estimate, an income-based price, the cash you need to buy and the cost of replacing a loan each use different inputs and answer different questions. This collection groups every live QuantStock housing calculator by what you are trying to do, so you can start with the tool that fits. All of them are educational estimates calculated in your browser, and none is a quote, an approval or advice.
Back to Calculators
Mortgage and Real Estate Calculators
Choose the calculator that matches your housing question, from buying and mortgages to rent and home projects
Buying a home
Three different questions come up before a purchase: what monthly budget works, how much cash to have ready and what a specific home would cost each month. Use income-based affordability for the budget, the down payment tool for upfront cash, the mortgage calculator for a specific price, and the debt-to-income ratio to see how a payment compares with your income.
Most buyers use more than one of these in sequence: affordability to set a range, the down payment tool to plan cash, the mortgage calculator to price a home, and the debt-to-income ratio to check the result against income. Keeping the same price, rate and term across tools makes the answers comparable.
Mortgage calculatorEstimate a monthly payment with taxes, insurance, PMI and optional extra payments.Inputs: Price, down payment, rate, termHouse affordability calculatorTurn your income, debts or monthly budget into an estimated price range.Inputs: Income, debts, down paymentDown payment calculatorWork out the cash needed for a home, the price your cash supports or your down payment percentage.Inputs: Price or cash, closing costs, reserveDebt-to-income calculatorCompare housing and total debt payments with your income as ratios.Inputs: Income, housing, debt payments
Managing a mortgage
After closing, the questions change. The amortization schedule shows where each payment goes. Extra, biweekly or target payments shorten the loan you already hold. A refinance replaces that loan with a new one, so it needs fees, points, cash-out and the debt left compared at the same date. Prepaying can also be set against investing the same money, which is a separate comparison from either.
Many decisions here trade one cost for another. Paying extra shortens the loan but ties up cash, and refinancing can lower a payment but adds fees and may lengthen the debt. Use the same balance, rate and time horizon in each tool so you compare like with like.
Amortization calculatorSee how each payment splits into interest and principal over the whole loan.Inputs: Amount, rate, termMortgage payoff calculatorTest extra, biweekly or target payments on the mortgage you already have.Inputs: Balance or original loan, rateRefinance calculatorCompare replacing your loan, with fees, points and cash-out, at the same date.Inputs: Current loan, new loan, costsMortgage versus investing calculatorCompare prepaying the mortgage with investing the same money.Inputs: Balance, rate, expected return
Borrowing against equity
A home equity loan is a second loan, separate from replacing your first mortgage. The calculator models one fixed installment loan and the borrowing headroom under a combined loan-to-value limit you choose. It does not produce a line-of-credit result.
Because your home secures the loan, borrowing against equity is worth comparing with other options before you decide, including a refinance or paying down the current mortgage.
Renting and home projects
Renters can estimate a personal rent budget from income and debts; the tool does not estimate a landlord's returns. For projects around the home, the paint and tile calculators estimate quantities from the measurements you enter.
Which calculator should I use?
Match your question to the tool, and keep the same assumptions when you compare scenarios, so changes in the answer come from the inputs you changed.
If a tool is not listed here, it is not available yet: this collection includes only live calculators, and it does not include rental investment returns or a rent-versus-buy comparison.
| Your question | Use | What it does not answer |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate a payment | Mortgage | An income-based price limit or a lender's approval |
| Estimate a price from income | House affordability | A lender's approval or the full payment schedule |
| Plan purchase cash | Down payment | Your income-based budget or total housing cost |
| Compare keeping versus replacing a loan | Refinance | Extra payments on the loan you keep |
| Reduce an existing loan sooner | Mortgage payoff | Refinancing costs or a new loan's terms |
FAQ
Which calculator estimates my monthly mortgage payment?
Use the mortgage calculator for principal, interest and entered ownership costs.
Which calculator tells me how much cash I need to buy?
Use down payment for upfront purchase cash; use house affordability for an income-based budget.
What is the difference between payoff and refinance?
Payoff models reducing the loan you have; refinance compares replacing it with a new loan and fees.
Does this page include rental investment returns or rent-versus-buy?
Those tools are not available in this collection yet. The rent tool estimates a personal rental budget.
Get New Free Calculators by Email
Be the first to hear about new free calculators and plain-English guides on pricing, money and planning. Occasional emails only, unsubscribe at any time.