2 Minutes Read
I am the author of this blog and also a top-producing Loan Officer and CEO of InstaMortgage Inc, the fastest-growing mortgage company in America. All the advice is based on my experience of helping thousands of homebuyers and homeowners. We are a mortgage company and will help you with all your mortgage needs. Unlike lead generation websites, we do not sell your information to multiple lenders or third-party companies.
Calculating an exact mortgage payment in the without a calculator on a loan is no small task, but there are some simple rules-of-thumb you can use to get a close estimate.
When coming up with a rough estimate, it is important to understand the individual components that factor into the overall monthly mortgage payment for your home. Yes, the thousands of dollars you send to your lender every year may cover more than just the mortgage, but referring to one simple formula will help you gauge what the new payment will be as you’re out looking for new properties that may be in your price range.
What’s In A Mortgage Payment?
A mortgage consists of 4-6 parts:
- Principal – the balance of the loan
- Interest – the fee paid to borrow the mortgage money
- Property Taxes – based on county assessed value and residence type
- Hazard Insurance – in the case of fire or property damage (may include a separate flood policy)
- Mortgage Insurance – more than 80% LTV on conventional loans, or with FHA financing
Most lenders use the acronym (PITI), which includes Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance.
And in the case where a separate Mortgage Insurance Premium is required, we add another “I” to the end of that creative series of letters.
Another monthly expense that you have to consider is the monthly dues that come with properties that have a homeowner’s association (common in condominiums and other developments). This isn’t a payment made to your lender, but you will have to qualify with that payment and it is also best practice for you to factor that in the monthly cost of your new home.
The Mortgage Payment Cheat Sheet:
Ok, you’ve made it this far and haven’t closed your browser, so that is a good thing.
Please keep in mind, this top secret formula will by no means be exact.
Mortgage Payment Formula:
For every $1000 you borrower, your TOTAL monthly mortgage payment will be $8.
So, if you purchase a home for $250,000 with a $50,000 down payment – borrowing a total of $200,000, then a good estimated total monthly PITI payment would be roughly $1600. But don’t forget to add your homeowners association dues to that monthly payment.
What If I Pay Taxes and Insurance Separately?
Well now we’re at the easy part. If you elect to pay taxes separate from your mortgage, the cheat sheet is reduced from $8 per $1000 down to $6 per $1000.
So there you have it. $8 for every $1000 borrowed.
Again, please keep in mind that this is not going to give you an EXACT payment. You may be purchasing a property with higher real estate taxes or your insurance premiums may be higher than average depending on the state you live in.
You May Also Like:
- 81
Mortgage insurance is essentially financial protection for the lender. If the borrower defaults on payments or cannot make the payments outlined in their contract with the lender, then mortgage insurance can protect them. How Does it Work? Mortgage Insurance can function differently depending on the agreement you have in place.… - 79
The median home price in California has reached $908,040 for May 2024 (data compiled by the California Association of Realtors - CAR.) That's an 8.7% increase, year to year, from May 2023, when the median home price in the state was $835,280. The housing market saw 272,410 existing home sales,… - 71
Mortgage Insurance, sometimes referred to as Private Mortgage Insurance, is required by lenders on conventional home loans if the borrower is financing more than 80% Loan-To-Value for his home. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is insurance payable to a lender or trustee for a pool of securities that may be required…
