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Melanie Smith

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All agents are NOT alike! Find out why I am a top real estate expert. Call me: 203-319-3403.
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Mortgage Calculators
Welcome > Resources > Mortgage Calculators > Should You Rent or Buy? ...

The Best Mortgage Calculators On the Web! 

Please try my Java loan and mortgage calculators. They take a minute to load, but they are worth it! 

Each calculator has dynamic graphs and charts that change as you enter different information. Try each calculator with different interest rates, loan amounts, and payment schedules. 

The mortgage repayment schedule and other reports are fully customizable - just for your home, your interest rate, your loan amount, your taxes, and more. 

Would you like a print out, for your records and future reference? Each calculator includes a View Report button. Click it, hit print, and you have a report, customized just for you... 

Should You Rent or Buy?

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

This Financial Calculator requires a Browser with Java Support


Definitions

Price of home
Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Cash on hand
Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Interest rate
The current interest rate you can receive on your mortgage.

Term in years
The number of years over which you will repay this loan.

Property tax rate
Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate
Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Loan origination rate
The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid
The total number of points paid to reduce the interest rate of your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your mortgage balance.

Other closing costs
Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total closing costs
Total upfront costs to close your loan. This is the sum of the loan origination fee, amount paid for points and other closing costs.

Total for down payment
Total funds remaining for down payment.

Mortgage amount
Total amount of loan.

Investment return
The rate of return you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

The actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to December 2003, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 11.7% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.

Monthly rent payment
Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

Income tax rate
Your current marginal income tax rate.

Expected inflation rate
Inflation rate used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at
Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission
The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment
Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Principal payment
Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Tax savings
The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $280. (At a tax rate of 28%).

Net house payment
Your house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price
Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly PI
Monthly principal and interest payment.

Monthly PMI
Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

The mortgage calculators are provided by KJE Computer Solutions, LLC and made available to NUMBER1EXPERT as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can't guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.



School Reports in Fairfield, Westport, and Weston, Connecticut
"A model of how the Internet can facilitate the process of deciding where to send your children to school"
- America's Best School Profiles by
The Heritage Foundation

Connecticut Public, Private and Charter Schools: Compare them using these top-rated, comprehensive reports.
  Schools in Fairfield, Westport, and Weston 



Real Estate Tips
Financing Your Home >FHA Advisory

If you are in default on an FHA-insured mortgage, and the lender intends to foreclose, you should know about the Mortgage Assignment Program. You will have to provide certain information to the FHA to apply for this program.

To be considered eligible for assistance, the home must your principal residence. You must be at least three full payments behind on the mortgage, and the reason for your failure to make the mortgage payments must be due to circumstances beyond your control, such as unexpected unemployment. The FHA must be reasonably certain that you can resume making the payments at the end of 36 months and that the accrued deficiencies will be paid back before taking over the loan.

The Veteran's Administration also has a mortgage assistance program for those who have VA mortgages.

See All Tips In The "Financing Your Home" Category >
See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

Real Estate Trivia
Q 
Which estate has two pools--one on the east side for the morning sun and one on the west for afternoon enjoyment?

A 
The former estate of John Lennon in Palm Beach has two pools plus guest quarters.
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Melanie Smith, REALTOR®, real estate agent and broker for Fairfield, Westport, and Weston, Connecticut home listings, property and land for sale - NUMBER1EXPERT

Melanie Smith
Prudential Connecticut Realty

PO Box 532; 411 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT 06890
203-319-3403
Fax: 203-255-2330
Voice Mail: 203-429-1714
Melaniesmith@prudentialct.com
melaniesmith@NUMBER1EXPERT.com

Melanie Smith, ABR, ABRM, CRB, CRS, GRI has been the top producer in her area since 1980, currently in the top 1% in the nation. Assertive representation, confidentiality and professional service to buyers and sellers. Prudential Connecticut Realty is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc., and Prudential is a service mark of The Prudential Insurance Company of America.

ABR CRS ePro Equal Housing GRI REALTOR


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