Remember, your actual mortgage rate is based on a number of factors, including your credit score and debt-to-income ratio. If you don’t have an idea of what you’d qualify for, you can always put an estimated rate by using the current rate trends found on our site or on your lender’s mortgage page. Or, you can use the interest rate a potential lender gave you when you went through the pre-approval process or spoke with a mortgage broker. Mortgage Rateįor the mortgage rate box, you can see what you’d qualify for with our mortgage rates comparison tool. Your credit score and income are two additional factors that play a role in determining your mortgage rate and, therefore, your payments over time. Being able to make a sizable down payment improves your chances of qualifying for the best mortgage rates. In general, most homebuyers should aim to have 20% of their desired home price saved before applying for a mortgage. *The payment calculations above do not include property taxes, homeowners insurance and private mortgage insurance (PMI). The table below shows how the size of your down payment will affect your monthly mortgage payment. One common exemption includes, VA loans, which don’t require down payments, and FHA loans often allow as low as a 3% down payment (but do come with a version of mortgage insurance).Īdditionally, some lenders have programs offering mortgages with down payments as low as 3% to 5%. Many mortgage lenders generally expect a 20% down payment for a conventional loan with no private mortgage insurance (PMI). Next, divide by your monthly, pre-tax income. To calculate your DTI, add all your monthly debt payments, such as credit card debt, student loans, alimony or child support, auto loans and projected mortgage payments. Here’s the formula for calculating your DTI:ĭTI = Total Monthly Debt Payments ÷ Gross Monthly Income x 100 The higher the ratio, the less likely it is that you can afford the mortgage. This ratio helps your lender understand your financial capacity to pay your mortgage each month. This rule says that your mortgage payment shouldn’t go over 28% of your monthly pre-tax income and 36% of your total debt. One of the rules you may hear as a homebuyer is the 28/36 rule or the debt-to-income (DTI) rule. Home price, the first input for our calculator, is based on your income, monthly debt payment, credit score and down payment savings. Here’s a breakdown with an explanation of each factor and how it influences your payment. SmartAsset’s mortgage payment calculator considers four factors - your home price, down payment, mortgage interest rate and loan type - to estimate how much you will pay each month. Factors That Determine Your Mortgage Payment The numbers can always be adjusted later.įor a more detailed monthly payment calculation, click the dropdown for “Taxes, Insurance & HOA Fees.” Here, you can fill out the home location, annual property taxes, annual homeowners insurance and monthly HOA or condo fees, if applicable. Don’t worry if you don’t have exact numbers to work with - use your best guess. In the dropdown box, choose your loan term. There are three fields to fill in: home price, down payment and mortgage interest rate. The first step to determining what you’ll pay each month is providing background information about your prospective home and mortgage. N = Number of Monthly Payments for 30-Year Mortgage (30 * 12 = 360, etc.) How SmartAsset's Mortgage Payment Calculator Works P = Principal Amount (initial loan balance) Mortgage Payment Formulaįor those who want to know the math that goes into calculating a mortgage payment, we use the following formula to determine a monthly estimate: To find a financial advisor who serves your area, try our free online matching tool. You can also try our home affordability calculator if you’re not sure how much money you should budget for a new home.Ī financial advisor can aid you in planning for the purchase of a home. You can adjust the home price, down payment and mortgage terms to see how your monthly payment will change. SmartAsset’s mortgage calculator estimates your monthly mortgage payment, including your loan's principal, interest, taxes, homeowners insurance and private mortgage insurance (PMI).

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