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The real monthly cost of the house.

Mortgage, taxes, insurance, upkeep, shul dues, kosher premium and tuition in one number. Then rent vs. own, three loan scenarios and a rate shock.

3 loan scenarios · Rent vs. own break-even · Debt-to-income check

Start See break-even

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All-in monthly, standard loan

$0

Cash to close

$0

Beats renting at

--

Illustration with the tool's defaults: $750,000 home, 20% down, 6.25% for 30 years. Change any number below.

Inputs

Four numbers decide it. Taxes, upkeep, community costs and rent sit under Fine-tune.
Target purchase price before credits.
We'll flag PMI when below 20%.
Base note rate. Scenario 2 applies a buydown; Scenario 3 uses a 15-year sprint.
Household, before tax. Lenders use it for the ratios.
Fine-tune 16 more inputs
Loan term and other debts
Scenario cards will apply their own term if specified.
Student loans, auto, cards (min), etc.
Taxes, insurance, closing
Annual property tax rate. Adjust per community.
Base hazard / homeowners policy estimate.
Excludes optional points; we add them in scenarios.
Monthly holding costs
We allocate this monthly (e.g., 1% = $625/mo on $750k).
Jewish life costs
Extra vs. non-kosher grocery baseline.
Optional cushion for yeshiva/day school.
Rent alternative and stress
Applied to the stress scenario.
Community presets
Rough illustrative assumptions, not local quotes. Adjust to your numbers.

Three ways to borrow.

1) Standard (your rate/term) 2) Rate buy-down (1 point, -0.50%) 3) 15-year sprint (-0.75% rate)
Standard Your payment
$0
All-in monthly (PITI + HOA + maintenance + Jewish-life + PMI if applicable)
Cash to close $0
Lifetime interest $0
Est. APR 0%
Front / back DTI --
Principal + interest $0
Taxes + insurance$0
HOA + utilities$0
Maintenance reserve $0
Jewish-life add-ons $0
PMI (drops) $0
Rate buy-down 1 point cost, -0.50% rate
$0
Adds buydown fee to closing; lowers monthly payment.
Cash to close $0
Lifetime interest $0
Est. APR 0%
Front / back DTI --
Principal + interest $0
Taxes + insurance$0
HOA + utilities$0
Maintenance reserve $0
Jewish-life add-ons $0
PMI (drops) $0
15-year sprint Higher pay, faster payoff
$0
Assumes 15-year term and -0.75% rate vs your base.
Cash to close $0
Lifetime interest $0
Est. APR 0%
Front / back DTI --
Principal + interest $0
Taxes + insurance$0
HOA + utilities$0
Maintenance reserve $0
Jewish-life add-ons $0
PMI (drops) $0
Rate shock (+1%)
Rate relief (-1%)
Tax jump (+10%)

When owning beats renting.

Compares what renting costs with what owning costs you, not counting principal (that's equity you keep). Closing costs count against owning. Shul, kosher, community and tuition costs are left out of both sides, since renters pay them too. Ignores appreciation and what the down payment could earn elsewhere.

Break-even month --
Annual rent in year 3 --
Owner net cost (Year 1) --
Equity built by break-even --
APR vs. rate

APR blends your interest rate plus certain loan costs (e.g., points, some lender fees) spread over the loan term.

Why it matters: Use APR to compare offers; use rate to model payment.

Points and buy-downs

1 point = 1% of the loan amount. Paying points lowers the rate. Break-even is the months it takes monthly savings to repay the cost.

PMI (private mortgage insurance)

Applies when you put < 20% down. It usually drops automatically around 78% LTV; we estimate the drop month for you.

Escrow and reserves

Lenders often collect taxes/insurance monthly plus 1-3 months upfront at closing. Add a buffer if your market requires it.

Maintenance buffer

A 1-2% annual reserve keeps you from swiping cards for boilers, roofs, or Yom Tov hosting upgrades.

Safety rails

Front-end (housing) ideally ≤ 32% of gross. Back-end (housing + other debts) ideally ≤ 43%. We'll flag when you push those limits.

Community signal

Presets fill in rough illustrative assumptions for shul dues, kosher premium, tax and insurance. Confirm real numbers with a local realtor or lender.

What to watch

Closing cash too tight? Consider seller credits toward rate buydown. Payment shock too high? Try 15% down + lender-paid PMI or a 15-year only if cash flow is strong.

Next steps

  • Get two lender quotes with itemized fees to sharpen APR.
  • Ask about tax escrows and PMI removal dates in writing.
  • Confirm HOA rules for Shabbos, sukkah, and mezuzah.
  • Price nearby shul dues and tuition to refine add-ons.

Stress-test ideas

  • Run +1% rate, +10% taxes, and 15% maintenance.
  • Model a 3-month drop to one income. Does the budget still work?
  • Check furnishing/move-in costs: appliances, mezuzos, eruv.
  • Set aside 1 month of PITI for every 10% down you put.

Community costs

  • Shul building fund or pledges (one-time / annual).
  • School registration and busing differences per zip.
  • Yom Tov travel if family is out of town.
  • Eruv/mikvah fees and local kosher pricing swings.

Illustration only. Estimates for comparison, not a loan offer. Rates, taxes, insurance and PMI vary by lender and location. KesefSmart is general education, not financial advice.

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