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The Top 5 Mortgage Calculators on the Web and the Pros and Cons of Each

March 29, 2016 by Kay Monigold

The Top 5 Mortgage Calculators on the Web and the Pros and Cons of EachIf you’re shopping for a great mortgage, you’ll want to use a mortgage calculator. Mortgage calculators keep getting more accurate and more complex, allowing you to explore the various details involved in a mortgage. Try one of these mortgage calculators to learn what you can expect.

ML Calc: A Simple, Straightforward Calculator With Current Rates

ML Calc (mlcalc.com) is a simple mortgage calculator powered by mortgage software company Arsidian. And just one click, you can open up a new window that shows you the current mortgage and refinancing rates in your city. However, the user interface is outdated and simplistic, making it difficult to assess data if you’re a visual learner.

The Zillow Calculator: Beautiful Graphics For Visual Learners

Zillow’s intuitive mortgage calculator is fantastic for those who learn best through graphics. Upon inputting your details, Zillow will generate a graphical breakdown of your mortgage payment. You can also view a payment schedule graph that shows you when your loan will be paid off.

The only problem? It doesn’t allow you to compare different mortgages.

Mortgage Professor: A Full-Service Suite of Powerful Calculators

Mortgage Professor is a full suite of 53 unique calculators that investigate everything from refinancing to APR to down payments to mortgage insurance to consolidation. The site can give you data like when your mortgage point payments will break even, whether it’s less expensive to piggyback a second mortgage, and what your best option for a reverse mortgage is.

Mortgage Professor offers a lot of flexibility and options, but the struggle many users face is not knowing where to start – the calculator doesn’t indicate which calculation is the best one to begin with.

BankRate: Get Real-Time Estimates From Actual Lenders

BankRate’s mortgage calculator offers much of the same standard features you’d expect to find, but the one unique feature is its listing of lenders. By inputting details like your mortgage term and amount, your down payment size, and your credit score, you can see real-time quotes from lenders – and immediately contact them.

Bankrate doesn’t include taxes, though, and understanding its specialized symbols can be a challenge given the poor user interface.

Realtor.com: Location Options And VA Mortgage Options For Military Families

Realtor.com’s mortgage calculator is a great tool for those who want a variety of unique options like location-specific home prices and VA benefits. It also uses easy-to-understand visuals, and even shows nearby homes in your price range – plus a variety of articles about mortgages. However, the calculator only allows users to view payment estimates one year at a time.

Finding a mortgage that suits your needs can be a struggle, but a qualified mortgage professional can help. Contact your local, trusted mortgage advisor to get the most accurate information for your unique situation.

Filed Under: Home Mortgage Tips Tagged With: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage Calculators

A Quick and Easy Guide to Using an Online Mortgage Calculator

January 5, 2016 by Kay Monigold

A Quick and Easy Guide to Using an Online Mortgage CalculatorIf you’re in the market for a new mortgage, using an online mortgage calculator is a great way to determine what kind of terms you can expect to see and how they’ll affect your home purchase. Visualizing what a 3.9% interest rate looks like can be difficult, which is why a mortgage calculator is so useful – it shows you exactly what a certain mortgage will do to your finances. Here are just a few ways that you can use an online mortgage calculator to learn more about your mortgage needs and find the mortgage that is best for you.

Start With A Solid Set of Sample Data

In order for your mortgage calculator to be of any use, you’ll need to start the calculations with a set of sample data that is a fairly accurate representation of what you can expect to find in the market. For example, if your gross annual salary is $30,000, you won’t want to look at mortgages for $1 million homes (unless you’re doing so out of idle curiosity). Instead, try to represent your actual take-home earnings and interest rates available to someone with your credit as faithfully as possible.

Try Adjusting The Settings And Terms

Once you have your sample data and have done a quick initial calculation, you’ll want to play around with some of the settings and terms to see how minor changes in your mortgage arrangement can affect your finances.

For instance, what happens if you keep your monthly payment the same but increase your interest rate? What happens if you change your 15% down payment to 20% and you suddenly don’t have to pay mortgage insurance? When you understand how all of the different variables impact both each other and your monthly payments, you’re in a better position to judge what kind of mortgage is a good fit for you.

Survey Multiple Lenders And Input Their Terms

When you use your mortgage calculator, you’ll want to avoid simply using one mortgage plan from one lender. Different lenders can vary in their mortgages available and can offer you different terms, which will impact your monthly payments and possibly even what kind of home you can afford. So shop around and use different terms from different lenders – this has the dual effect of both helping you understand how mortgages work and saving you some rate shopping time later.

Online mortgage calculators are an easy way to learn how mortgages work, but you’ll want to enlist the help of a professional mortgage advisor when it comes time to choose a mortgage and a lender. Contact your local mortgage professional today to get expert home buying advice.

Filed Under: Home Mortgage Tips Tagged With: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage Calculators, Mortgages

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Kay MonigoldKay Monigold
Owner/Mortgage Broker/Residential Mortgage Loan Originator
NMLS#1086176

Ron MartinRon Martin
Residential Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS#316821

Steven LoweSteven P Lowe, Sr
Residential Mortgage Loan Originator
NMLS #1085638

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