What could it cost to own this home?

Start with the monthly budget, then explore the cash you put in and the equity you might have when you sell. Appreciation changes those longer-term numbers, so test more than one assumption.

Explore the cost of owning

The opening numbers are an illustrative example. Replace them with your own costs and loan quote. Uses a 30-year fixed-rate loan.

Home price ($)

Down payment (%)

Mortgage rate (%)

Taxes, insurance and fees ($/mo)

Include HOA and mortgage insurance, if applicable.

Repairs and upkeep (%/yr)

Budgeted as a share of the home’s scenario value.

Annual appreciation assumption (%)

Your scenario assumption, not an estimate for an address.

Years before selling

Buying closing costs (%)

Selling costs (%)

Month-one budget

$2,956 /mo

Includes mortgage principal and interest, taxes, insurance, fees and an upkeep allowance. Principal repayment builds equity.

Cash to close: $88,000
Mortgage principal and interest /mo: $2,023
Taxes, insurance and fees /mo: $600
Month-one upkeep allowance: $333
Equity before selling costs: $163,757
Cash after sale costs and loan payoff: $131,297
Total cash paid over the hold: $266,486
Net ownership cost after sale: $135,189
Average net cost after sale /mo: $2,253

Sale figures use your 3% annual appreciation assumption over 5 years. Net ownership cost is total cash paid minus sale proceeds. A negative net cost means a scenario gain after those costs, not income available to pay your monthly bills.

Same home, different appreciation assumptions

See how an assumed decline or increase changes equity and net ownership cost. These are illustrative scenarios, not measured market rates.

What the scenario includes

A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, buying and selling costs, monthly taxes, insurance and fees, and an upkeep allowance. Monthly taxes, insurance and fees stay constant during the hold; upkeep changes with the scenario home value. Include any mortgage insurance in the monthly fees; this simple model keeps it for the whole hold.

Utilities, moving costs, renovations, tax deductions, capital-gains taxes, inflation and alternative uses of your cash are outside this calculation. Use actual quotes and test higher ongoing costs. This is an illustrative scenario, not a rent-versus-buy verdict or a prediction of a future sale price.

Equity before selling costs is the scenario home value less the loan balance due at sale. It includes your down payment, principal repaid and assumed value change. Net ownership cost also accounts for the cash paid during the hold and the costs of selling. Negative sale proceeds mean additional cash is needed to repay the loan at sale.

Weigh the home against your priorities