Stoia

Buy Your First Home: The Money Checklist

From down payment savings to what a lender will approve: the free calculators and plain-English guides that take you from renter to owner.

For first-time buyers one to five years out.

  1. Free toolRent vs. Buy CalculatorConfirm buying actually wins for your city, rent, and timeline.
  2. GuideHow to Save for a House Down Payment (Without Pausing Your Life)Set the target and the timeline without pausing the rest of your life.
  3. Free toolDown Payment CalculatorTurn 3, 5, 10, or 20 percent into a real cash target and date.
  4. Free toolHYSA Interest CalculatorPark the fund where it earns real interest while it waits.
  5. Free toolDebt-to-Income CalculatorCheck the ratio underwriters check before they see your offer.
  6. GuideHow Much House Can You Afford? Start With 28/36, Not the Pre-ApprovalThe 28/36 rule, worked from your income to a real price range.
  7. Free toolHome Affordability CalculatorGet an honest price range before the listings start whispering.
  8. Free toolMortgage CalculatorSee the real monthly payment: principal, interest, taxes, insurance.
  9. Free toolClosing Cost CalculatorBudget the 2 to 5 percent that surprises first-time buyers at signing.
  10. Free toolPMI CalculatorPutting down less than 20 percent? Price the PMI and its exit date.
  11. GuideFHA vs. Conventional: Down Payment, Mortgage Insurance, and the Break-Even That Decides ItDown payment, mortgage insurance, and the break-even that decides it.
  12. Free toolLoan-to-Value (LTV) CalculatorYour LTV decides PMI and refinance pricing: know it before applying.
  13. GuideLoan-to-Value Ratio, Explained: Why 80% Is the Line That MattersWhy 80 percent is the magic line for PMI and refinance pricing.
  14. GuideThe First-Time Home Buyer Checklist: 18 Months to KeysThe 12 to 18 month runway, from credit pull to closing table.

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