Texas Mortgage Calculator

Principal and interest use the amortizing loan formula M = P × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)⁻ⁿ), where P is the loan amount, r the monthly interest rate and n the total number of monthly payments. Property tax, homeowners insurance and any HOA fee are then divided by twelve and added on top, since those are pass-through costs that do not accrue interest.

Most monthly mortgage payments include four things, known together as PITI: principal, interest, property taxes and homeowners insurance. Taxes and insurance are usually collected by the lender into an escrow account and paid on your behalf. If the property is in a homeowners association you also pay an HOA fee, though that normally goes directly to the association rather than through your lender. Private mortgage insurance is added when the down payment is under 20%.

A common guideline is that total housing costs stay under 28% of gross monthly income, and that all debt payments together stay under 36%. On a $120,000 salary that is roughly $2,800 a month for housing and $3,600 for all debts combined. The affordability calculator works this out from your income, existing debts and down payment.

Twenty percent is the threshold that removes private mortgage insurance on a conventional loan, which typically saves 0.5%–1.5% of the loan amount every year. It is not a requirement: conventional loans can go to 3%, FHA loans to 3.5%, and VA and USDA loans to zero for those who qualify. A smaller down payment means a larger loan, a higher payment and more interest overall.

Cheaper each month, far more expensive in total. A $320,000 loan at 6.5% costs about $2,023 a month over 30 years and roughly $408,000 in interest. The same loan over 15 years costs about $2,787 a month but only around $182,000 in interest. The 15-year term also usually carries a slightly lower rate. Which is right depends on whether the monthly headroom is worth more to you than the lifetime saving.

No. Private mortgage insurance depends on your credit score, loan type and loan-to-value ratio, and it stops once you build enough equity, so including a single estimate would be misleading. If your down payment is below 20%, budget an extra 0.5%–1.5% of the loan amount per year on top of the figures shown here.

Texas has no state income tax, so local government and public schools are funded largely through property tax. Effective rates average around 1.63% and vary widely by county and school district. On a $305,000 home that is roughly $415 a month, which is often the second-largest component of the payment after principal and interest.

It reduces the taxable value of your primary residence and caps annual increases in assessed value at 10%. School district exemptions are the largest component, and additional exemptions are available for homeowners over 65 and for disabled homeowners. You must file for it with your county appraisal district — it is not applied automatically.

Around $4,100 a year on average, among the highest in the country, driven by hail and severe storm exposure across North and Central Texas. Coastal counties typically need separate windstorm coverage, often through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, which adds further cost.