Using a Mortgage Calculator in Texas: 4 Traps to Avoid

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Mortgage calculators help homebuyers answer a number of crucial questions. From how much home you can afford to save money on a refinance, an online mortgage calculator offers you the data that you would need to make critical financial decisions.

Also Read: 4 Effective Things to Do to Get Home Loans for Low Credit Scores

But you should not blindly follow the results of a mortgage calculator. There are diverse mortgage tarps that you should avoid when using a mortgage loan calculator Texas for making a house purchasing decision. Do you know what these are? If not, you don’t need to worry. Here we have listed down a few for you –

• Mortgage payment

With a mortgage payment, generally, you have five diverse expenses. The principal payment, insurance, interest payment, private mortgage insurance, and real estate taxes can also be included. You need to ensure that you use a calculator, which will evaluate all these factors properly so that you know the actual mortgage payment for the loan. Thus, you will not be surprised by additional payments in your monthly mortgage.

• Interest rates

The interest rate of home mortgage determines how much you will pay each month on your loan depending on the buying price. The interest you are given will be determined by various factors including the down payment that you come with, the cost of your house, your credit score, debts, income, the location of the home, and the type of mortgage you qualify for. You may find that a mortgage calculator offers you a basic rate while you can qualify for a rate that is higher or lower, and it will affect your monthly mortgage payment.

• HOA fees

Based on where you have decided to buy a house, you may end up with HOA fees. HOA or Homeowners’ Association Fees are a kind of payment that you need to make each month for living in a particular area and have access to some particular amenities. When you make the decision of purchasing a home, ensure to find out, how much, in case any HOA fees are included. It will be an additional payment that you have to make each month for your home. Sometimes, these fees can be quite high. So, you need to ensure you can afford what you owe, for your mortgage and fees.

• Closing costs

When you close on a home loan program, most likely, you will owe closing costs of some amount. The cost will vary depending on your particular mortgage deal. Where you are located, the type of loan that you choose, down payment percentage and many other factors determine just how much is owed in closing costs. Mortgage calculators may not be able to determine this information for you and it will affect the amount of your loan.

Using a mortgage calculator is a great way to start your home buying. But you should keep this in mind that they are as good as the data you provide them. So, you should try to enter accurate information to get an accurate result.

Also Read: Know how to Save for an FHA Loan and its 3.5% Down Payment with a Real-Life Example