Planning Tools
Numbers you can run yourself — with the context to read them correctly.
A calculator gives you a number; this section gives you the judgment to use it. Each guide explains what a tool actually measures, the formula underneath it, and the mistakes people make reading the result. Run the numbers here, then apply to turn an estimate into a real answer for your situation.
The Affordability Calculator, Read Correctly
What “how much house can I afford” really measures — and the number it leaves out.
The Mortgage Payment Calculator
Break your payment into its four real parts so nothing surprises you later.
The Refinance Break-Even Calculator
One division problem decides whether a refinance actually pays.
The Blended-Rate (Keep-Your-Rate) Calculator
The tool that proves a small second loan beats refinancing a low first mortgage.
The Reverse Mortgage Estimator
What drives how much a homeowner 62+ can access — and how to read the estimate.
Rent vs. Buy
The comparison that accounts for the things a rent check quietly hides.
The Amortization Schedule: Where Your Money Really Goes
Why early payments are mostly interest — and how a little extra principal rewrites the whole schedule.