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Down Payment Mortgage Calculator

Down Payment Calculator

Calculator developed by
Harry Jensen
, Trusted Mortgage Expert with 45+ Years of Experience
Edited by Michael Jensen

Use our Down Payment Calculator to determine the down payment required to buy a home based on the property purchase price and other factors. Our calculator also shows you the total upfront cost required to buy a home including the money you put down plus estimated closing costs. Use our calculator to understand how different down payments affect the mortgage required to buy a home as well as your housing costs.

Watch our Down Payment Calculator "How To" video

Inputs

The value of the property for which you are obtaining the mortgage
Please Enter Property Purchase Price
The amount of money, as a percentage of the purchase price, you are contributing to purchase the property
Please Select Down Payment
Inputted value must be between 10% and 100%
The current interest rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is approximately 5.750%
Please Select Annual Interest Rate
The length, in years, of the mortgage. The most common mortgage term is 30 years
Please Select Mortgage Term (Years)
The type of mortgage your looking to obtain
Please Select Mortgage Type
Submit Valid Info to Compare Lenders and Save Money!When you provide valid personal info we may connect you with lenders which enables you to compare mortgage proposals and find the mortgage that is right for you. Click calculator for a version of this calculator that does not require personal info
 
Please Enter Your First & Last Name
Please Enter a Valid First Name
Please Enter a Valid Last Name
 
Please Enter Your Phone Number
Please Enter a Valid Phone
Please Enter Your Email
Please Enter a Valid Email
Your credit score to the best of your knowledge
Please Select Credit Score
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Outputs

Represents an estimate only. Closing costs vary by lender and service provider
The output provided represents an estimate only. Property tax and insurance rates vary by state, county and property
The output provided represents an estimate only. Property tax and insurance rates vary by state, county and property
Please note that at the time of closing, in addition to paying the non-recurring closing costs listed above, the borrower is also required to pay recurring closing costs such as interest (from the day of closing until the end of the month), pro-rated property taxes, homeowners insurance, homeowners association fees (if applicable), private mortgage insurance (PMI) (if applicable), mortgage insurance premium (MIP) (if applicable) and impounds
The up-front fees and expense above do not include the cost of any discount points you may decide to pay. A discount point is equal to 1.0% of the amount of the mortgage. If you decide to pay discount points to lower your interest rate, you will incur additional up-front costs
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How Our Down Payment Calculator Works

Your down payment is the portion of the property purchase price that you contribute.  Our Down Payment Calculator shows you how your down payment and total funds required to buy a home change based on the the following inputs:

Property Purchase Price.  The price of the home you buy is the most important factor that determines your down payment.  The more expensive home you buy, the higher your down payment.

Down Payment as a Percentage of the Purchase Price.  Most lenders require you to make a down payment of 20% to receive the best mortgage terms although low down payment programs enable you to buy a home with 3% down or less.  The more money you put down, the smaller the mortgage amount you need to buy a home. The lower your down payment, the higher the loan amount you need.

Mortgage Rate.  The lower the interest rate, the higher the mortgage amount you can afford and the smaller the down payment you need.

Mortgage Term.  The longer your loan, the lower your monthly payment and higher the loan amount you can afford.

Our calculator enables you to determine the total cost to buy a home including the following information:

Down Payment Required. Your down payment depends on the price of the home you want to buy and the percentage of the purchase price you put down.

Estimated Closing Costs.  These are costs required by third parties including escrow and title companies to process your loan. Closing costs vary based on your mortgage amount, property purchase price, location and other factors.  The more expensive the home you buy, the higher the closing costs. It is important to consider closing costs to make sure that you have the necessary funds to close your loan. For example, you may have saved for your down payment and not realized how expensive closing costs are.

Lender Costs.  These are the fees charged by the lender to process and fund your mortgage.  Lender costs are typically a fixed amount.

Total Upfront Money Required to Purchase the Home. This is total amount of funds you need to come up with to buy the home you want including both the down payment and closing costs. You may also be required to hold savings in reserve depending on your loan program and lender.

Mortgage Amount. This is the amount of money you borrow to buy the property. The lower your down payment, the higher your mortgage.

Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio. Your LTV ratio, or the ratio of your mortgage amount to the value of your property, is inversely related to your down payment which means the more money you put down, the lower your LTV ratio. Lenders usually apply a maximum LTV ratio to determine your loan amount as well as your eligibility for certain loan programs.

Mortgage Payment. This is your estimated monthly payment based on your loan amount. The higher your down payment, the lower your mortgage amount and payment.

Estimated Property Tax and Homeowners Insurance. When you buy a home it is important to understand housing expenses such as property tax and homeowners insurance. These costs vary based on property value and location as well as level of coverage.

Total Monthly Housing Expense.  This includes your mortgage payment plus property tax and homeowners insurance so you can determine if you can afford the total monthly cost to own a home.

Down Payment to Buy a Home

1

Most Lenders Require a Down Payment of 10% - 20% of the Home Purchase Price

Most lenders require a minimum down payment of 10% - 20% to qualify for a mortgage and 20% to receive the lowest interest rate from the lender.  For example, if you are buying a home for $100,000 you would be required to make a down payment of $20,000 to receive the best mortgage terms from the lender ($100,000 (property value) * 20% (down payment) = $20,000).  The down payment requirement may change based on mortgage program and loan amount with some lenders requiring higher down payments on jumbo loans.  The down payment requirement can vary by lender so borrowers should contact multiple lenders to understand their policies.  Use our Down Payment Calculator to understand how your loan amount and monthly payment change depending on how much you put down.

2

Low / No Down Payment Mortgage Programs

While 10% - 20% is the required down payment for most mortgages, there are multiple no and low down payment mortgage programs that enable borrowers to buy homes with little or no money down.  For example, the USDA and VA home loan programs enable you to buy a home with no down payment, the HomeReady and Home Possible mortgage programs enable you to buy a home with a 3.0% down payment and the FHA mortgage program enables you to buy a home with a 3.5% down payment.  Many large banks or credit unions also offer their own low down payment mortgage programs.  In some cases, these programs may require borrowers to pay additional fees or a higher interest rate but they make owning a home more attainable for more borrowers.  

3

Your Down Payment and Mortgage Insurance

If you make a down payment of less than 20% of the property purchase price you are typically required to pay some form of mortgage insurance, which protects the lender in the event you default on your loan.  For conventional loans, borrowers pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) which is an additional ongoing monthly fee on top of your mortgage payment.  In some cases borrowers pay PMI as a separate monthly fee (borrower paid PMI) and in other cases borrowers pay PMI by paying a higher interest rate (lender paid PMI) FHA and USDA mortgage borrowers are required to pay an upfront and ongoing mortgage insurance premium while VA mortgage borrowers are only required to pay an upfront funding fee.  The amount of mortgage insurance varies depending on the mortgage program and other factors such as credit score and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.  Borrowers should understand how mortgage insurance increases their upfront and ongoing monthly mortgage costs if they make a down payment of less than 20%.

4

Additional Costs

In addition to your down payment, borrowers are required to pay for mortgage closing costs and potentially hold savings in reserve when the loan closes.  Closing costs vary depending on your loan amount and property value and can run thousands of dollars.  Our Down Payment Calculator shows you the additional costs involved in buying a home so you no how much money you need to close the purchase and avoid any surprises.  Additionally, some lenders and mortgage programs require borrowers to maintain a minimum amount of savings in reserve at the time your mortgage closes.  Although it may not be required by your lender, FREEandCLEAR recommends that you hold enough savings in reserve to cover three-to-six months of total monthly housing expense.  For example if your total monthly housing expense is $1,5000, you would keep at least $4,5000 in reserves at the time your mortgage closes.  Borrowers should understand the total amount of funds required to pay for their down payment, closing costs and savings in reserve to make sure they have sufficient funds to qualify for a mortgage.

5

The Relationship Between Your Down Payment and Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio

Loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is your mortgage amount divided by the fair market value of the property being financed according to an appraisal report.  For example, if your mortgage amount is $80,000 and your property value is $100,000, your LTV ratio is 80% ($80,000 (loan amount) / $100,000 (property value) = 80% (LTV ratio)).  Lenders usually apply a maximum LTV ratio of 80% to 90% although low down payment programs permit higher LTV ratios up to 100% in some cases.  Your LTV ratio is inversely correlated to your down payment which means the more money you put down, the lower your LTV ratio and the easier it is to qualify for a mortgage.  Lenders import LTV ratio limits because they want to make sure there is sufficient equity in the property in case you default on your mortgage.  When you buy a home, from the lender's standpoint, the lower the LTV ratio the better which means you make a higher down payment.  Be sure to understand your lender's LTV ratio limit before you apply for a mortgage.

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Current Mortgage Rates in Ashburn, Virginia as of March 19, 2024
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Rate data provided by RateUpdate.com. Displayed by ICB, a division of Mortgage Research Center, NMLS #1907, Equal Housing Opportunity. Payments do not include taxes or insurance premiums. Actual payments will be greater with taxes and insurance included. Read through our lender table disclaimer for more information on rates and product details.
While we pride ourselves on the quality and breadth of the FREEandCLEAR mortgage calculators please note that they should be used for informational purposes only. Our calculators rely on assumptions by us and inputs and assumptions provided by you, which may be inaccurate. The outputs from our calculators are estimates only and should not be used as the sole basis for making any financial decisions. Always consult multiple financial professionals when determining the mortgage size and program that is appropriate for you.

More FREEandCLEAR Mortgage Resources

Mortgage Guides

What Size Down Payment Do I Need to Buy a Home?

Review our comprehensive explanation of what size down payment you need to buy a home including informative examples

Programs

Comparison of No and Low Down Payment Mortgage Program

Review and understand multiple government-backed and conventional low or no down payment mortgage programs to understand key borrower benefits, program eligibility and qualification requirements.

Interest Rates

Mortgage Rates

Compare mortgage rates and fees from top lenders near you.  Comparing proposals from multiple lenders is the best way to find the mortgage that is right for you

Ask a Mortgage Expert

Ask a Mortgage Expert

Got mortgage questions? We love answering them. Submit your mortgage questions and receive an informative response within 24 hours

Resources

Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio for a Mortgage

Understand the importance of an LTV ratio and why lenders focus on this figure when you apply for a mortgage

Sources

Thibos, Megan. “How to decide how much to spend on your down payment.” CFPB. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, January 30 2017. Web.

About the calculator developer

Harry Jensen, Mortgage Expert

Harry is the co-founder of FREEandCLEAR. He is a mortgage expert with over 45 years of industry experience. Over his career, Harry has closed thousands of loans for satisfied borrowers and now offers his advice and insights on FREEandCLEAR.  Harry is a licensed mortgage professional (NMLS #236752). More about Harry

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