A straight answer
Why you won't find a calculator on our website
No payment calculator here, and that's on purpose. Without your real rate and the home's real property tax bill, a calculator gives you a number that looks exact but isn't. Here's what we do instead.
We've built calculators. That's how we know.
We've built mortgage calculators ourselves. That's exactly how we learned what they leave out. A calculator is only as good as the numbers you type into it, and the two numbers that matter most are the two you can't know on your own: your interest rate and the home's property tax bill.
Your rate isn't a number you can guess
The rate you'd actually get depends on your credit, your down payment, the loan type, the home, and the day you lock it in. Most calculators ask you to guess, or fill in a rate for you that may have nothing to do with your situation. Guess wrong, and every number after that is wrong too.
California property taxes aren't one flat number
Most calculators use one tax rate for everyone. In California, your tax bill starts with the base rate under Proposition 13, then adds local voter-approved charges that differ from one neighborhood to the next. Some neighborhoods, especially newer ones, also pay Mello-Roos special taxes. And after you buy, the county usually sends a supplemental tax bill for the change in value. Two homes at the same price on different streets can have very different tax bills.
And the rest of the payment
Homeowners insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance all change from home to home. In the foothills, wildfire risk can change what insurance costs, or who will write it at all. A calculator can't see any of that.
Why it matters
A calculator gives you a number that looks precise. Some buyers plan their whole search around it, then find out the real payment is different. We'd rather you never have that moment.
What we do instead
Call us. We'll price your real situation that day and use the actual tax bill for the home you're looking at, including any special taxes, so the payment we talk through is one you can plan around. Once you apply, you'll get a Loan Estimate, the official form that shows your rate, payment and closing costs in writing.
