LetвЂ™s assume the same principal and interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage, but add in the rest: The $1,205 only accounts for the principal and interest, however sheвЂ™ll also have to add in taxes, homeowners insurance, and private mortgage insurance. Katie and her husband might be tempted to think вЂњOk, we currently pay $1200/month for our apartment in the city, so if we get a 4.51% interest rate on the $237,500 loan weвЂ™ll only be paying $1,205/monthвЂ¦we can afford that, and weвЂ™ll be building equity!вЂќ LetвЂ™s choose the fifteen most popular online mortgage calculators (based on Google search results) and assess whether they pass or fail these three requirements, and how each would affect KatieвЂ™s monthly payment estimate: PITI Does the calculator include up-to-date mortgage interest rates that reflect current market rates?.Does the calculator let you compare between Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate mortgages?.Does the calculator take into account the principal, interest rate, taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance (PITI)?.What should you look for in a mortgage calculator to make sure youвЂ™re getting an accurate estimate of what youвЂ™ll be paying in monthly mortgage payments? Generally, there are three questions you should ask yourself, which we consider requirements for an accurate calculation: There are a number of online mortgage calculators that Katie can choose to estimate her monthly mortgage payments, however the vast majority of calculators donвЂ™t include key factors that greatly affect accuracy. How much can Katie and her husband expect as their total monthly mortgage payment? Time expected to stay in the home: 5 years or less.Maximum monthly payment they can afford: $1,500.TheyвЂ™ve made a point of saving as much as possible for a down payment and figure they can afford to put down 5%, or $12,500. They also know that there is a high possibility that Mark could get transferred for work within the next five years. They know that their monthly payment cannot be higher than $1,500. She and her husband Mark want to buy a home to raise a family in and think they can afford a house in the $250,000 range. Katie currently rents an apartment in the city for $1,200/month. DonвЂ™t believe me, just watch!вЂ¦sorry Bruno Mars. Unfortunately, most mortgage calculators available in search results are not very accurate and, to be blunt, pretty useless. Choosing the right mortgage calculator is very important to correctly estimate your monthly mortgage payment.

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