Mortgage Calculator
A mortgage payment is more than principal and interest. Property tax, homeowners insurance, and PMI (private mortgage insurance, required on most loans with less than 20% down) all get folded into what most people mean by "monthly payment," and skipping them is the most common reason first-time buyers are surprised by their actual bill. This calculator includes all four, plus a full amortization schedule.
Monthly Payment: $2,219.79
$1,769.79
$350.00
$100.00
Loan Amount
$280,000
Total Interest
$357,125
Total Cost
$799,125
Cost Breakdown
Estimate only. Consult a mortgage professional for accurate figures.
How to use this mortgage calculator
- Enter the home price and your down payment (in dollars or as a percentage).
- Choose your loan term (15, 20, 25, or 30 years) and enter the annual interest rate.
- Optionally fill in annual property tax, home insurance, and the calculator will auto-include PMI if your down payment is under 20%.
- Review your monthly payment breakdown and the total cost over the life of the loan.
- Click "Show Amortization Schedule" to see yearly and monthly payment details.
The 20% down payment threshold
PMI exists to protect the lender, not you, and it typically costs 0.5–1.5% of the loan amount annually until you reach 20% equity, at which point you can request it be removed. Putting down 20% upfront avoids it entirely, but for many buyers, paying PMI for a few years in exchange for buying sooner (rather than saving for years to hit 20%) still comes out ahead, especially in a market where home prices are rising faster than the buyer could save. Run the numbers both ways in this calculator before assuming a bigger down payment is automatically the better move. The answer depends heavily on your specific rate, PMI cost, and how fast local prices are moving.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include property tax and insurance, or just principal and interest?
Both. Enter your estimated annual property tax and homeowners insurance and they're rolled into the total monthly payment (often called "PITI": principal, interest, taxes, insurance).
When does PMI go away?
Once your loan balance drops to 80% of the home's original value (20% equity), you can typically request PMI removal; it's automatically terminated by law at 78% loan-to-value on most conventional loans regardless.
How much does an extra payment actually save?
It depends on where you are in the loan. Extra principal paid in the first few years saves dramatically more total interest than the same extra amount paid near the end, because you're cutting interest that would otherwise compound over the full remaining term.
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