The short version
Buying a home runs on numbers that change by state and by year — property-tax rates, transfer and recording taxes, down-payment-assistance programs, loan limits. Our job is to take what actually applies where you're buying and put it in language you can act on, with a link back to the source so you can check it yourself. We don't invent a figure to round out a page.
Where the state numbers come from
On each state page, the property-tax rate comes from the Tax Foundation's effective-rate data and, where relevant, the state department of revenue. Transfer, recordation, and conveyance taxes come from the state's own statutes and revenue agency. The first-time-buyer and down-payment-assistance programs come straight from that state's Housing Finance Agency — for example CalHFA in California, the Texas TDHCA and TSAHC, Florida Housing, or New York's SONYMA — and every state page links to that agency so you can confirm the current program terms.
Where the loan-program numbers come from
Loan-type figures are pulled from the agencies that actually set them: HUD/FHA for FHA limits and mortgage-insurance rates, the VA for funding fees and entitlement rules, USDA Rural Development for guarantee fees and income limits, and the FHFA for the conforming loan limit that defines where "jumbo" begins. Those limits reset on a schedule, so we date them and link the source.
How we handle rate and price figures
Mortgage rates and home prices are different — nobody sets them and they move constantly. So we treat them as estimates and label them as such, and the sample monthly payments on our pages are illustrations, not quotes. What you actually pay depends on your credit, your down payment, the lender, and the day. That's exactly why the calculator plus a real Loan Estimate from a lender beats any printed average.
See a figure that looks off? Tax rates, loan limits, and assistance programs change. If something looks out of date, email us through our contact page and we'll check it against the official source and fix it.
Our one rule on numbers
We don't fabricate. If we can confirm a current figure against the agency that sets it, we publish it and date it. If a number isn't clearly published or sources disagree, we explain the rule in plain terms and tell you to confirm the exact figure with the agency — we don't fill the gap with a guess.
What the calculator does — and doesn't — do
The calculator gives you a principal-and-interest payment plus an estimate of taxes, insurance, and PMI based on what you enter. It's a strong starting point for budgeting and for sanity-checking a quote — not a pre-approval and not a Loan Estimate. Real numbers come from a lender running your actual file.
We're not a lender
We don't originate loans, and nothing here is a lending decision or financial advice for your specific situation. For that, talk to a licensed loan officer or a HUD-approved housing counselor.
How the site makes money (the honest disclosure)
QuickMortgageCalc is free to use. Two things keep it running, and we'd rather say so plainly:
- Advertising. We display ads, which may be personalized. They're labeled as advertisements.
- Lead generation. If you ask to get pre-qualified, we may connect you with a licensed mortgage broker or lending partner, and we may be paid for that referral. It costs you nothing, you're under no obligation, and we are not the lender.
Those relationships don't change the facts on our pages. The tax rates, loan rules, and program details are researched independently of any advertiser or referral partner.