01Rent vs Buy
Should I rent or buy?
Compare renting and buying with an honest look at the tax benefits.
- The true monthly cost of each, side by side
- The mortgage interest deduction against the standard deduction
- The SALT cap, state by state
Consumer due diligence
Make better decisions before you borrow.
Ratelock’s calculators simulate your options with your own numbers, so you can see what each one really costs.
Buying a home
Choosing the loan
Paying it off
02Mortgage Calculator
What will the whole payment be?
The real monthly cost of a mortgage, not just the loan.
- Principal, interest, property tax, insurance, PMI and HOA
- Total interest, your payoff date and the amortization schedule
- When PMI drops off
03Move-Up Calculator
What does trading up really cost?
Already own a home and want a bigger one? See the payment shock first.
- Your current payment against the new one at today’s rate
- What your sale nets after commission and closing costs
- The price ceiling your budget actually supports
0415 vs 30 Year Mortgage
Is the shorter term worth it?
An honest comparison of a 15-year and a 30-year mortgage.
- Both terms at their real rates
- The savings by the year you sell or refinance
- A third option: a 30-year paid at the 15-year payment
05Mortgage Points
Should I pay for a lower rate?
Find out whether points pay for themselves before you sell or refinance.
- The month your points pay for themselves
- The rate you really pay if you leave early
- Points against a bigger down payment
06Loan Comparison
Which offer costs less?
Line up the loan offers you’ve been quoted, side by side.
- Monthly payment, total cost and interest for each
- Prepayments, refinances and recasts on one timeline
- Which loan costs less over its life
07Prepayment Calculator
What do extra payments save?
See how paying extra changes your payoff date and the total you pay.
- One-time, monthly or yearly extra payments
- Your new payoff date and the interest you save
- A refinance or a recast, on any of your loans
08Borrow vs Invest
Pay down the loan, or invest the money?
Weigh extra payments against Treasuries, CDs and an index fund, after tax.
- What paying down earns, guaranteed, against each investment after tax
- The return an investment needs to beat paying down
- How often stocks have beaten it since 1928
09Refinance Calculator
Does refinancing pay?
Find out whether a new loan beats the one you have.
- The new rate, term and closing costs against keeping your loan
- Total cost and payoff date for each
- With or without extra prepayments
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