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June 04, 2017 at 07:31PM
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Let’s face it: A little back-of-the-envelope math won’t cut it when you’re trying to buy a house.
Becoming a homeowner is a complicated process and a major financial commitment, and figuring out the true cost requires a good amount of research.
Many people will often turn to online mortgage calculators to determine what they can afford, but this tool comes with a few glaring limitations.
In fact, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) outlines two major problems with many mortgage calculators: they only consider the principal and interest payment and they are only as accurate as the information you provide.
Your principal payment is how much you owe on your loan and the interest rate is the additional amount the lender charges you for borrowing money. Together, this is your mortgage payment — but it’s not the only monthly cost you’ll incur.
You need to factor in property taxes, private mortgage insurance (PMI), homeowners insurance, utilities, and homeowner’s association fees (if you expect to have them), to get an idea of what you’ll be paying each month. Many mortgage calculators either don’t estimate these costs accurately, relying on the user to enter the numbers themselves, or leave them out all together. There are also closing costs you’re required to pay upfront, which can be up to 5% of the home purchase price.
Online real estate resource Zillow Group is trying to fix that problem. Last month, it launched Realestate.com, a new site geared toward millennials looking for their first home. Their new all-in monthly pricing tool enables you to see every possible monthly expense — and a breakdown of closing costs — for each property listed on its site.
That includes accounting for utilities, which are commonly left out of mortgage calculators, using location data available for each property.
According to Zillow Group’s Consumer Trend Report, which was based off of a survey of a group of 13,000 homeowners, sellers, buyers, and renters, 39% of first-time homebuyers exceed their initial budget.
Jeremy Wacksman, CMO of Zillow Group, told Business Insider they created this tool to make budget a priority in the home-shopping process.
“We see nearly half of first-time homebuyers consider renting as well, so [this makes it so they’re] really thinking of them side by side,” Wacksman said. “As a renter, you’re usually thinking of one cost per month.”
One major advantage of the Realestate.com all-in monthly cost tool is that these estimates provide context to homes currently on the market. Rather than blindly looking at a listing price, an all-in monthly cost estimate gives a more accurate idea of affordability.
This doesn’t help you much if the home you’re looking to buy isn’t on Zillow, though you may be able to compare it to something similar in the area.
Also, keep in mind that interest rates are highly personal and depend on your credit history, type of loan, income, debt, and specific lender. This tool populates with a default 3.79% interest rate, based on a 30-year fixed mortgage with a 20% down payment. But you can use CFPB’s interest rate tool to input some of that information and get a more accurate rate to further customize your all-in monthly cost.
SEE ALSO: 21 of the most affordable zip codes to raise a family in the US
DON’T MISS: Everything you need to know about buying a home, in 7 steps
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June 04, 2017 at 07:25PM
from Tanza Loudenback
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BRIEF-RMP Energy names three members to its board of directors
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May 30, 2017 at 07:26PM
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DOW JONES DOWN 36.01 POINTS, OR 0.17 PERCENT, AT 21,044.27 AFTER MARKET OPEN
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May 30, 2017 at 07:22PM
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Rodriguez-Gonzalez retweeted:
10 retos para mujeres en #CorpGov @BoardroomWomen ow.ly/cXcW30c6ETo @RonningSheila #WomenOnBoards #BoardDiversity
May 29, 2017 at 07:29PM
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10 retos para mujeres en #CorpGov @BoardroomWomen https://t.co/lbH5Vx1BOq @RonningSheila #WomenOnBoards #BoardDiversity http://pic.twitter.com/lsIM27xMMn
— MastrangeloAlejandra (@MastrangeloA) May 28, 2017
NEW YORK, May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Nielsen announced today it has expanded its measurement of Twitter mobile campaigns to 23 new global markets, in addition to the US. Through Digital Ad Ratings, Nielsen will now provide independent audience verification metrics for campaigns on…
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SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — It’s a whole new look for an industry-leading 166-year-old FORTUNE 500 company1. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today unveiled a newly refreshed brand, designed to better reflect and build on its legacy and the cor…
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The ABA Tax Section May Meeting kicks off today in Washington, D.C. The full program is here. Tax Profs with speaking roles include: Diversity: Anthony Infanti (Pittsburgh), Jacqueline Lainez (UDC), Francine Lipman (UNLV) Employee Benefits: Jon Forman (Oklahoma), Kathryn Kennedy (John Marshall) Fiduciary Income Tax: Jerome Hesch (Miami) Financial Transactions:…
May 11, 2017 at 07:21PM
from Paul Caron
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MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft will fulfil obligation to further cut oil production if such an agreement would be achieved, Rosneft’s chief financial officer Pavel Fedorov said during a conference call on Wednesday.
May 10, 2017 at 07:32PM
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inter-alia, to consider, approve and take on record the Audited Financial……
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ECB CALLS FOR BIDS IN 7-DAY OPERATION FIXED RATE OF 0 PCT
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April 28, 2017 at 07:24PM
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FRENCH TWO-YEAR GOVT BOND YIELDS ON TRACK FOR BIGGEST MONTHLY FALL IN OVER FOUR YEARS, DOWN 11 BPS
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April 28, 2017 at 07:24PM
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Resistance Levels
R1: 1.3656 (38.2% Retracement level)
R2: 1.3700 (Psychological levels)
R3: 1.3726 (23.6% Retracement level)
Support Levels
S1: 1.3612 (50% Retracement level)
S2: 1.3559 (61.8% Retracement level)
S3: 1.3528 (April 27th lows)
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April 28, 2017 at 07:24PM
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