Mortgage Payment Calculator
Estimate your monthly mortgage payments including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance.
Understanding Your Mortgage Calculation
Purchasing a home is one of the most significant financial decisions you will ever make. Using a Mortgage Payment Calculator helps you understand exactly how much house you can afford by breaking down the total monthly costs. Unlike simple loan calculators, a comprehensive mortgage calculator must account for PITI: Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.
How is the Monthly Mortgage Payment Calculated?
The standard formula used by lenders to determine your monthly principal and interest payment is:
M = P [ i(1 + i)^n ] / [ (1 + i)^n – 1 ]
- M: Total monthly payment (Principal + Interest)
- P: Principal loan amount (Home Price minus Down Payment)
- i: Monthly interest rate (Annual rate divided by 12)
- n: Total number of payments (Loan term in years multiplied by 12)
Key Factors Affecting Your Payment
Down Payment: Putting more money down reduces your principal loan amount (P). A down payment of 20% or more typically allows you to avoid Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), further lowering your monthly obligations.
Interest Rate: Even a fraction of a percentage point can drastically change your payment. For example, on a $300,000 loan, the difference between a 6% and a 7% interest rate is roughly $196 per month, or over $70,000 over the life of a 30-year loan.
Loan Term: A 30-year term offers lower monthly payments but results in higher total interest paid. A 15-year term has higher monthly payments but builds equity faster and saves significantly on interest costs.
Example Calculation
Let's assume you purchase a home for $350,000 with a $70,000 down payment (20%). This leaves a loan amount of $280,000. If you secure a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.5%:
- Principal & Interest: ~$1,769 per month
- Property Taxes: If taxes are $4,500/year, add $375/month.
- Home Insurance: If insurance is $1,200/year, add $100/month.
- Total Estimated Payment: ~$2,244 per month.
Use the calculator above to input your specific numbers and see how changes in interest rates or down payments affect your monthly budget.