How to Calculate Mortgage for Houston, Texas
The arithmetic behind mortgage payments is hard, but the Houston Broker’s Mortgage Calculator simplifies the process. This mortgage calculator can assist you in calculating the expenses of your mortgage loan.
Texas Housing Market
When people buy or sell houses, either to live in or as an investment, we refer to this as the housing market. A house is the most valuable thing many people will ever own. Homebuyers are reconsidering the value of home purchases due to record property prices and quickly rising mortgage rates. In April, the typical single-family house price in Texas increased to almost $350,000. The national mortgage rate rose about 2% in a year, making home purchases difficult, particularly for first-time buyers. Due to limited inventory at the lower end of the market, a shift in the composition of sales toward higher-priced homes contributed to home-price appreciation.
Mortgage Calculator
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How To Calculate Mortgage
Payment of Your Asset
Enter the purchase price (if you’re purchasing) or the current value (if you’re refinancing) under “Home price.”
1. Fill in the amount of your down payment (if you’re purchasing) or equity (if you’re refinancing) in the “Down payment” column.
2. Enter the rate under “Interest rate” (on the right). Click the plus and minus marks under “Loan term” to change the duration of the mortgage in years.
3. Select a loan term. Enter a loan period of up to 30 years to help calculate your monthly mortgage payment. If you haven’t been approved for a loan term or interest rate, the rate you choose here should be the same as the average rate you put above.
(For example, if you pick a 15-year term, use the average rate for a 15-year mortgage. You may use this calculator section to examine your possibilities if you want a balance of affordable monthly payments and a shorter term.)
Taxes, insurance, and homeowners’ association (HOA) costs should all be considered. This section of the calculator is optional, but it might help you get a better idea of your prospective monthly payments. If you, have it, enter your monthly property tax, private mortgage insurance (PMI), homeowners’ insurance, and HOA costs. If you don’t have these numbers, some information may be available through your real estate agent or the website of your local property assessor.
Examine the terms of your loan. When you enter all the necessary information on the left side of the screen, the calculator will automatically populate the payment breakdown on the right.
Break up of Mortgage Payment Cost
The principal and interest make up most of your mortgage payment. The main is the amount borrowed, while the interest is the fee paid to the lender. Your lender may additionally collect an additional sum each month to place in escrow, which the lender (or servicer) normally pays directly to the local property tax collector and your insurance provider.
Principal: The principal is the amount borrowed from the lender.
Interest: The interest is the fee charged by the lender for lending your money. Annual percentage rates of interest are used.
Property Taxes: Local governments impose an annual tax on your home. With each monthly mortgage payment, you pay around one-twelfth of your annual tax bill if you have an escrow account.
Insurance for Homeowners: Fire, storms, theft, a tree falling on your house, and other dangers may be covered by your insurance policy. If you live in a flood zone, you’ll have separate coverage, and if you live in Hurricane Alley or earthquake country, you may have a third policy. As with property taxes, you pay one-twelfth of your yearly insurance payment each month, and your lender or servicer pays the remaining amount when it becomes due.
Mortgage Security: If your down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price, you will most certainly be required to pay mortgage insurance, which is added to your monthly payment.
HOA Costs: If you buy a home in a shared community, such as a condominium complex, you may be obliged to pay homeowner association fees. HOAs are private organizations that are formed to regulate and maintain such areas. Although the costs are small, they may make your monthly payments prohibitive.
Estimating How Much House
We Can Afford To Buy
Your monthly salary, existing debt payments, and how much you have saved for a down payment all influence how many houses you can buy. Lenders consider your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio when deciding whether to accept you for a specific mortgage amount.
Your DTI is calculated by dividing your total monthly debt payments by your monthly pre-tax income. In general, you should not spend more than 28 percent of your salary on a mortgage; however, a higher amount may be accepted.
However, keep in mind that just because you can afford a property on paper doesn’t mean your budget can handle the payments. Consider how much money you’ll have on hand after making the down payment in addition to the variables your bank considers when pre-approving you for a mortgage amount. It’s essential to save at least three months’ worth of payments in case of financial difficulty.
You should consider your other financial goals in addition to determining how much you intend to pay in maintenance and other house-related expenses each month. For example, if you want to retire early, figure out how much money you need to save or invest each month and then figure out how much you’ll have left over to put toward a mortgage payment.
Finally, the house you can afford is determined by your comfort level—just because a bank pre-approves you for a mortgage doesn’t mean you should maximize your borrowing ability.
How a Mortgage Calculator Can Assist You
Determining your monthly house payment is crucial in determining how much house you can afford. That monthly payment will most likely account for most of your living expenses. When you purchase or refinance a property, you can estimate your mortgage payment using Houston Broker’s mortgage calculator. The calculator can assist you in making the following decisions:
- The duration of your home loan is appropriate for you. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reduces your monthly payment but increases your interest payments over the life of the loan. A 15-year fixed-rate mortgage will lower your total interest, but your monthly payment will be higher.
- Assess if you are spending more money than you have. The Mortgage Calculator gives you an idea of how much you’ll pay each month, including taxes and insurance.
- Assess if an ARM is a viable solution. Adjustable-rate mortgages begin with a “teaser” interest rate and then adjust – higher or lower — over time. A 5/1 ARM is a good option if you only intend to stay in your house for a few years. You should know how much your monthly mortgage payment might alter once the promotional rate ends, significantly if interest rates are rising.
- How much should I put down? While 20% is considered the usual down payment, it is unnecessary. Many borrowers put as little as 3% down.
Want to Reduce Monthly Mortgage Payments?
The mortgage calculator allows you to run scenarios to discover how much you can save on your monthly payments:
- Extend the definition (the number of years it will take to pay off the loan). Your payment will be cheaper with a longer term, but you will pay more interest over time. Examine your amortization schedule to understand how extending your loan may affect you.
- Purchase fewer homes. A smaller loan implies a lower monthly mortgage payment.
- Avoid having to pay PMI. You won’t have to pay private mortgage insurance if you put down 20% or more. Similarly, preserving at least 20% equity in your property allows you to avoid PMI when refinancing.
- Reduce your interest rate. Making a higher down payment might help you avoid PMI while also lowering your interest rate. This results in a lower monthly mortgage payment.
Mortgage Payment Formula
M = P [ i (1 + i ) n ] is the formula for calculating mortgage payments. / [ (1 + i ) ^ n – 1]
The following are the variables:
- M represents the monthly mortgage payment.
- P represents the principal amount.
- I is your monthly interest rate. Because your lender will most likely present interest rates as an annual amount, divided by 12 for each month of the year. So, if your interest rate is 5%, your monthly rate will be 0.05/12 = 0.004167.
- n = the number of payments made throughout the loan’s life. If you take up a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your payments will be as follows: n = 30 years x 12 months each year, or 360 payments.
How to Reduce Your Mortgage Payment
There are various options for lowering your monthly mortgage payment:
- Refinancing into a longer-term: Another possibility is to refinance and extend the duration of your loan, which is the period you must pay it off. The benefit here is that you will reduce your monthly payment and have more monthly cash flow.
- Pay a larger down payment: A larger down payment allows you to borrow less. The larger your down payment, the lower your loan. This implies you will pay less in total interest costs throughout the life of the loan, as well as reduced monthly payments.
- Refinancing to a lower interest rate: The major reason for refinancing is to decrease the interest rate on a mortgage. This reduces your monthly mortgage payments, but that’s not all. It can also save you thousands (or tens of thousands) over the life of the loan.
Always remember there are some risk factors, and your monthly payment can go up over time if:
- Property taxes or homeowners’ insurance premiums rise. These costs are included in most mortgage payments.
- You incur a late payment fee from your mortgage loan servicer.
- You have an adjustable-rate mortgage and the rate rises at the adjustment period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Daniela Antelo
Daniela is a real estate broker working in Houston, TX since 2011, helping hundreds of families buying and/or selling their home, achieving their real estate goals. She knows the questions, the concerns and the information that buyers constantly seek, which is what inspired her to put everything you need to truly know in one place, eliminating the need to look elsewhere.
“Owning my home has been one of the most rewarding achievements of my life, and my goal is to share the same feeling with all of you. Let me help you on your real estate journey!” — Daniela Antelo
Daniela Antelo