Incomplete payments
A $2,000 principal-and-interest result becomes a different house once tax, insurance, and PMI are added. The full payment calculator is there so those lines are visible.
HOA dues are easy to leave out because they are not escrowed. The HOA field starts at zero and waits for you.
Cash and credit surprises
New debt after a pre-approval can change DTI. The ratio you calculated is not frozen.
Closing costs are not optional just because the down payment was the number you saved. The down-payment table adds a cost percent so the cash target is larger on purpose.
| Mistake | Use |
|---|---|
| Ignoring tax and insurance | Full payment calculator |
| Using APR as the rate | Note-rate field, APR guide |
| No cash for costs | Down-payment table |
Calculators
Related guides
Sources
Common questions
Is buying furniture with a new card one of these mistakes?
It can be. A new payment raises back-end DTI and can affect a loan that has not funded.
What if I already made one?
Rerun the calculator with the corrected debt, tax, or cash figure before you rely on the old result.