“How much can I afford?” is one of the largest decisions that faces every homebuyer, no matter his or her budget or where he or she wants to live. Realtor.com®, the Home of Home SearchSM, announced an industry-first monthly payment filter that helps buyers stick to their budget by hiding homes that exceed their target monthly payment, as well as two new calculators that help take the financial guesswork out of home-buying.
“At realtor.com, we go beyond listings search to help people figure out what homes are right for both their lifestyle and budget,” says Chung Meng Cheong, chief product officer, realtor.com. “The fear of overextending themselves financially is one of the biggest concerns for today’s homebuyers. Our new cost calculators give buyers deep insights into what specific home prices mean for their bottom line, while our new monthly payment filter prevents them from seeing homes outside their monthly budget so they can stay on track financially.”
The new features include:
“How Much Home Can I Afford?” Calculator for iOS, Android, and Web: Helps estimate your ideal home budget. Simply click “More” on the realtor.com iOS app or “Mortgage” on the Android app. You can then enter your annual income, monthly debt, desired down payment and location, and realtor.com will help you calculate a target home price and estimated monthly payment based on current interest rates. Results include the full range of homes you can afford and allow you to customize your budget to be more conservative or aggressive.
“Monthly Cost Calculator” for iOS and Android: Provides you with a detailed and transparent look at the estimated monthly payments on a new home. First select “More” on the realtor.com iOS app or “Mortgage” on the Android app and tap “Monthly Cost Calculator.” Then enter the anticipated home price, anticipated down payment and any other parameters such as loan type, interest rates, etc., and realtor.com will help calculate your total estimated monthly home cost and break it down by category. If you aren’t sure about some of the information, the feature will use averages that you can update later. The calculator is also accessible from the Listing Details Page on the iOS and Android apps.
Monthly Payment Filter for iOS: After you determine how much home fits into your monthly expenses, the realtor.com Monthly Payment Filter can help you stick to your budget by filtering out all the homes that are estimated to exceed your range. Simply enter a home search, tap “Filter” and select “Monthly Payment” to enter your expected down payment and target monthly mortgage budget. The app will then return all the homes currently on the market that meet your search and approximate budget parameters. This feature, a first among national real estate portals, is especially helpful for first-time buyers who are used to paying monthly rent, but have trouble budgeting based on total home price. This feature will be coming soon to the realtor.com Android app.
For more information, please visit www.realtor.com/homemade/finding-the-right-home-and-the-right-price-for-you/.
