To buy or purchase a home remains a tough and important decision in our life. Almost all of us will buy or refinance a home. Here is a list of important calculators to help you make the decisions. Calculators provides a way to pay off mortgage earlier, build equity faster, understand financial options, compare interest rate, and optimize the mortgage.



Monthly Payment

Homeowners usually pay a single mortgage payment for a month. This calculator computes how much is the monthly mortgage payments. Since mortgage lender offers different interest rates, homeowner tries the different interest rate to see the advantage over the other. As a safety precaution, many homeowners try to go below 40% of their monthly income.

Bi-weekly Payment

The homeowners with this option pay off the mortgage around 7 to 15 years earlier without refinancing. Since the homeowners pays off the mortgage every two weeks, more money pays off the principal.

Additional or Extra Payment

Mortgage Lender gives you a chance to pay a certain percentage of the principal as additional or extra mortgage payment once or twice per year. Usually, the mortgage lender lets homeowners pay 20% of the principal as additional or extra payment.

Interest Only Payment

This mortgage option lets the homeowner only pays the interest of the mortgage for a specific or certain period of the mortgage term. With the right property, the homeowners build equity really fast. If the homeowners use the savings of paying interest only, this option delivers huge benefits to the home owner.

Affordability

It figures out how much the home buyer can borrow. There are three factors that determine home buyers qualifications to be able to afford the mortgage and home. First, Loan to Value Ratio aims the appraisal value of the property does not exceed the loan. Secondly, the Gross Debt Service Ratio aims the percentage of gross income does not exceed mortgage payment. Finally, the Total Debt Service Ratio aims the percentage of gross income does not exceed mortgage payment, home expenses, and total debt.

Income Requirement

This answers the big question. Can you afford to pay the mortgage with your current income? Using the principal amount, mortgage term, interest rate, property taxes, and monthly obligations, the home buyers are able to know the income that is requirement to facilitate the mortgage.

Tax Deduction

Mortgage Interest and Discount Points delivers a huge tax benefits for the home owners. Internal Revenue Services (IRS) allows the home owners to deduct the mortgage interest and discount points. Keep up to date with IRS and tax advisor for the current laws and regulations.

Annual Percentage Rate

Naturally, the home buyers just shop for the lowest interest rate without paying attention to the annual percentage rate. It is the true cost of borrowing. The lowest interest rate does not necessarily translate to lowest mortgage payment. By law, the mortgage lender must disclose the annual percentage rate to the home buyer.

Refinance

Depending on how much the annual percentage rate or interest rate of the new mortgage, the home owners may or may not find an advantage to switch interest rate. Sometimes, mortgage lender gives timely promotions or specials. And, the home owners switch interest rate. At the end of the mortgage term, the home owner is force to switch interest rate. The home buyers often shops for a better interest rate before the end of the mortgage term.

Home owners have options to save on mortgage, but they give up so soon. Mortgage covers a broad range of subject. Without tools, resources, and calculators, homeowners bound to give up.