- Down payment
- The cash paid toward a home’s purchase price at closing; the rest is borrowed. This calculator multiplies the target home price by your goal percentage to set the dollar target. A larger down payment means a smaller loan and lower payments, while a smaller one gets you into a home sooner with less saved.
- PMI
- Private mortgage insurance, which protects the lender on a conventional loan when the down payment is under 20%. It adds a monthly cost until enough equity builds. Under the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 it can be cancelled on request at 80% of the original value and ends automatically at 78%.
- Time to save
- How long until your savings reach the down payment target, given current savings, the monthly amount you add and the savings yield. The calculator steps forward month by month, adding interest and each contribution. If home prices rise while you save, the target moves too, so the real time may be longer.
- Annual percentage yield (APY)
- The yearly return on savings with compounding included, which is how banks quote savings rates. The calculator converts it to an equivalent monthly rate so that twelve months of growth equal the stated APY. On a short savings horizon it helps modestly; the monthly saving amount usually matters far more to the timeline.
- Loan-to-value ratio (LTV)
- The loan amount divided by the home’s value, as a percent; it is 100% minus your down payment percentage. A 10% down payment means 90% LTV. Lenders use it to set rates, decide whether mortgage insurance is required and determine which programs you qualify for, so the down payment goal directly sets it.
- Closing costs
- Fees paid to complete a purchase, such as lender charges, appraisal, title insurance, recording fees and prepaid taxes and insurance. They are separate from the down payment and are not included in this calculator’s target. Budgeting for both, plus a cash reserve after closing, gives a more complete savings goal.
- Still needed
- The down payment target minus what you have already saved. It is the gap that monthly saving and interest have to close. Because interest is earned along the way, the total of your future monthly contributions can end up somewhat less than this amount by the time you reach the goal.
- Monthly saving
- The amount added to your down payment fund each month. The calculator assumes it is deposited on schedule and starts earning the savings yield right away. On typical savings timelines it is the input with the largest effect: increasing it shortens the time to save far more than a slightly higher rate does.
