how much house can i afford with my salary
How Much House Can I Afford?
Use income, debt, rate, and ownership cost assumptions to estimate a realistic home-price ceiling.
home affordabilitymax home price
Start with Home Affordability
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Homeowner planning guides
Practical, non-hype guides for common homeowner questions. Each guide links directly to the calculators you need to run the numbers quickly.
23 guides available across Finance, Ownership, and Utilities.
Featured guides
Open calculators →Guide
How Much House Can I Afford?
Use income, debt, rate, and ownership cost assumptions to estimate a realistic home-price ceiling.
Primary calculator: Home Affordability
Guide
Monthly Mortgage Payment Breakdown
Break down monthly mortgage costs into principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA before you buy.
Primary calculator: Mortgage Payment
Guide
When Does Refinancing Make Sense?
Compare current loan vs proposed refinance and find the break-even timeline for closing costs.
Primary calculator: Refinance Break-Even
Guide
HELOC vs Cash-Out Refi: What Changes the Cost?
Compare HELOC and cash-out refinance structures, payments, and break-even dynamics using shared assumptions.
Primary calculator: HELOC vs Cash-Out Refi
Guide
Should You Buy Mortgage Points?
Estimate whether buying points can recover upfront cost within your expected ownership horizon.
Primary calculator: Mortgage Points
Guide
When Does PMI Drop Off?
Estimate PMI drop-off timing and total PMI paid with optional extra principal assumptions.
Primary calculator: PMI Drop-Off
Guide
Rent vs Buy: 5-Year and 10-Year View
Compare renting and buying with equity and opportunity-cost assumptions over medium and long horizons.
Primary calculator: Rent vs Buy
Guide
How to Read an Amortization Schedule
Understand principal vs interest over time and use amortization outputs to plan prepayments.
Primary calculator: Amortization Schedule
Finance
Finance guides
Mortgage planning, refinancing, and equity tools for major homeowner money decisions.
what is included in monthly mortgage payment
Monthly Mortgage Payment Breakdown
Break down monthly mortgage costs into principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA before you buy.
mortgage payment breakdownpiti
Start with Mortgage Payment
when should i refinance my mortgage
When Does Refinancing Make Sense?
Compare current loan vs proposed refinance and find the break-even timeline for closing costs.
refinance break evenrefinancing calculator
Start with Refinance Break-Even
heloc vs cash out refinance which is better
HELOC vs Cash-Out Refi: What Changes the Cost?
Compare HELOC and cash-out refinance structures, payments, and break-even dynamics using shared assumptions.
heloc vs cash outequity borrowing
Start with HELOC vs Cash-Out Refi
are mortgage points worth it
Should You Buy Mortgage Points?
Estimate whether buying points can recover upfront cost within your expected ownership horizon.
mortgage pointspoints break even
Start with Mortgage Points
when does pmi go away
When Does PMI Drop Off?
Estimate PMI drop-off timing and total PMI paid with optional extra principal assumptions.
pmi drop offprivate mortgage insurance
Start with PMI Drop-Off
rent vs buy calculator 5 year
Rent vs Buy: 5-Year and 10-Year View
Compare renting and buying with equity and opportunity-cost assumptions over medium and long horizons.
rent vs buyhome equity projection
Start with Rent vs Buy
how to read amortization schedule
How to Read an Amortization Schedule
Understand principal vs interest over time and use amortization outputs to plan prepayments.
amortization scheduleprincipal interest table
Start with Amortization Schedule
Ownership
Ownership guides
Total cost of ownership, taxes, HOA impact, and ongoing maintenance planning.
true cost of home ownership calculator
True Cost of Owning a Home
Estimate total ownership cost over 5, 10, and 30 years with taxes, maintenance, insurance, and utilities.
cost of home ownership30 year home cost
Start with Home Cost 30-Year
property tax estimate by home value
Property Tax Planning Basics
Estimate annual and monthly property taxes and pressure-test affordability against local rates.
property tax estimatemonthly property tax
Start with Property Tax
how hoa fees affect affordability
HOA Fees and Your Housing Budget
Measure how HOA dues change total monthly housing cost and percent of your payment stack.
hoa impactmonthly housing cost
Start with HOA Impact
property tax appeal savings calculator
Estimate Savings From a Property Tax Appeal
Model annual savings and payback period when assessed value is lowered through an appeal.
tax appeal savingsassessment reduction
Start with Tax Appeal Savings
how much save for home maintenance
Annual Home Maintenance Budget Guide
Set maintenance reserves by home value, age, and risk profile instead of using a single flat rule.
maintenance budgethome maintenance cost
Start with Maintenance Budget
best way to finance home renovation
Renovation Financing Options Compared
Compare cash, personal loan, and mortgage-integrated financing for remodel projects.
renovation financinghome improvement loan
Start with Renovation Loan
home remodel roi calculator
Remodel ROI Planning Basics
Estimate value uplift scenarios for remodel projects and compare payback assumptions.
remodel roivalue increase estimate
Start with Remodel ROI
how much is homeowners insurance
Home Insurance Estimate Range Guide
Estimate low/base/high insurance premium ranges and understand inputs that drive quote variation.
home insurance estimateinsurance premium range
Start with Insurance Estimator
Utilities
Utilities guides
Utility forecasting and efficiency calculators for reducing recurring bills.
how to lower electric bill at home
How to Cut Your Electric Bill With Better Baselines
Build a reliable utility baseline and identify which bill components create the biggest monthly impact.
lower electric billutility baseline
Start with Utility Bill Analyzer
compare electricity plans by kwh usage
Compare Energy Provider Plans Correctly
Evaluate rate and fixed-fee plan structures to avoid misleading low-rate offers.
energy provider compareelectricity plan comparison
Start with Energy Provider Compare
water bill cost estimator
Water Usage Cost Baseline
Estimate monthly water cost and run sensitivity checks at lower and higher usage levels.
water bill estimategallons to cost
Start with Water Usage Cost
seasonal utility cost estimate
Seasonal Utility Bill Scenarios
Use seasonal multipliers to stress-test utility budgets for hotter or colder months.
seasonal utility costsutility multiplier
Start with Utility Bill Analyzer
solar panel payback calculator
Solar Payback Estimate Guide
Estimate solar payback and long-horizon savings with incentive, rate growth, and maintenance assumptions.
solar roisolar payback
Start with Solar ROI
heat pump savings calculator
Heat Pump Payback Guide
Estimate annual savings and payback ranges for heat pump upgrades under low/base/high assumptions.
heat pump paybackhvac upgrade savings
Start with Heat Pump Savings
new homeowner utility budget
Utility Budget for New Homeowners
Build a realistic first-year utility budget using baseline and seasonal scenario planning.
new homeowner utilitiesutility budget
Start with Utility Bill Analyzer