How To Use A Home Loan Calculator Correctly

Getting yourself a home loan calculator is the first step you need to take if you want to get the best type of loan. Many homebuyers however do not realize this is an important first step – and they make the mistake of going ahead and look at houses for sale and talk to realtors without getting a home loan calculator first.

The amount of money you have available for down payment impacts on all aspects of buying a home, namely how you write your purchase offer and the home loan programs you qualify for. A home loan calculator is a very useful tool which tells you what you can afford, which you need to know before you start to look for your dream home.

For example you may be looking at a home equity loan which is a fixed rate mortgage although it can be priced at a spread to the prime rate. Normally it is not and does not vary with prime. Although apart from it being a fixed rate mortgage it is also a self amortized loan. This means that monthly payments you make cover both the interest for the month and some of the principal repayment. By the end of the loan term you will have paid off the note.

If you intend to borrow all or a part of the down payment from your 401K or retirement plan, different loan programs have different rules on how you qualify. If a potential borrower has enough money for a large down payment, then they have a lot of options.

How you write your offer to purchase a home depends on your down payment, thus making it important that you use the home loan calculator first. In addition, it is important for you establish the amount of the monthly mortgage payment you can comfortably afford subject to the home loan you intend to take.