Mortgage math worth doing before you sign
Tools and calculators that answer questions a rate table can’t — from “am I being overcharged?” to New Jersey’s transaction taxes and attorney-review deadline. They run entirely in your browser; we never see your numbers.
Rent vs. Buy
Should you buy or keep renting? Factors in NJ’s high property taxes (by county) and the opportunity cost of your down payment, then finds the break-even year.
Recast vs. Refinance
Lower your payment with a windfall — recast (cheap, keep your rate) or refinance (new rate, closing costs)? See both payments and the break-even.
PMI-Removal Timeline
When can you drop private mortgage insurance? Find the month you can request removal (80% LTV) and when it terminates automatically (78%).
Rate Buy-Down Break-Even
Is paying discount points worth it? See your monthly savings, the upfront cost, and how long you’d need to keep the loan to come out ahead.
ARM Stress Test
Considering an adjustable-rate mortgage? See your maximum possible payment when it resets — the payment shock the caps actually allow.
NJ Transaction Taxes
Realty transfer fee, the mansion tax (flipped to the seller in July 2025), and the exit tax — computed correctly under current law, where most calculators are stale.
Should I Appeal My Property Taxes?
NJ’s Chapter 123 test: enter your assessment and what the home is really worth to see if you’re over-assessed, your likely annual savings, and your county’s filing deadline.
Attorney-Review Countdown
Enter your signed-contract date and get the exact 11:59 PM deadline of the 3-business-day attorney-review period — weekends and NJ holidays handled.
NJHMFA Assistance Eligibility
Do you qualify for New Jersey’s down-payment assistance — up to $15,000, plus $7,000 more for first-generation buyers? A quick, sourced eligibility check.
Where you still get approved →
A denial is one lender’s call. See what your denial reason means, whether it’s fixable, and which lenders approve the most borrowers like you.
Am I being overcharged? →
Which lenders charged borrowers like you above or below the market — real rate-spread data, in dollars per year. The question every lender avoids.
The approval tool →
Which lenders actually approve borrowers like you? Real approval rates by lender from federal data — the thing you can’t get anywhere else.
Calculators are educational estimates, not financial advice, and run locally in your browser. See methodology for how The Mortgage Record is built.