Walk through every scenario live — one-on-one, face-to-face, or on stage in a seminar. Build the plan around the payment, not the price tag.
Pull this calculator up in a consultation or seminar — on your phone, tablet, or laptop — and walk buyers through each scenario live, then generate a report from what you built together.
Most buyers shop backwards: they fall in love with a house, then find out what it costs them every month. Today we do it the other way around. Here's what we'll walk through together.
When you need keys in hand — and when the decision is actually due.
The exact criteria we send to builder reps on your behalf.
The ceiling every other number gets measured against.
Score the homes you narrowed down, side by side.
USDA, VA, Conventional, FHA — plus the 3-2-1 buydown math.
Any home, any price — what it really costs you monthly.
Set your absolute latest move-in date. We'll back into the deadlines that keep you on track.
Must be under contract on a new build by this date — or it's time to switch to pre-owned.
If you switched to pre-owned, you have until now (about 2 weeks from the deadline above) to be under contract on a home.
Final 30 days — appraisal, inspection, blue tape walkthrough, repairs, and loan approval. This 30-day window applies whether it's new build or pre-owned.
The 45-to-30-day window (~2 weeks) is your buffer to switch to and decide on a pre-owned home if no new build is under contract by day 45. The final 30 days is a fixed closing timeline for either path.
Lock in what the buyer actually needs before touring homes. Send these criteria — plus their max monthly payment — to your builder reps and ask them to send back only the inventory that fits at or under that payment.
Drag the slider or type an exact figure — every number on this page updates live. This includes Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, HOA, and any Mortgage Insurance.
Add or upload every property you're getting from builder reps and listing agents, with all the numbers filled in — price, earnest money, incentives, commute, closing timeline. This is built for the relocation buyer who can't be in town: they narrow the list off the numbers first, then tour the short list (even by FaceTime). Score each property later, after they've seen it — anything 9.5+ is auto-highlighted and the list sorts by score.
Typical: 2.15% (first use, under 5% down), 3.3% (subsequent use). Exempt for some disabled veterans.
Texas homestead exemption. The exemption comes off the home's assessed value, so the monthly saving is the exemption amount × your property tax rate ÷ 12 — not the full amount. A 100% P&T rating exempts the residence homestead entirely.
Estimated Buying Power
$0
Max Home Price
| Principal & Interest | $0 |
| Property Tax | $0 |
| Insurance | $0 |
| HOA Fees | $0 |
| Mortgage Insurance | $0 |
| Total | $0 |
Estimated total the buyer needs to bring to the closing table.
Typically 2%–5% of the home price for buyer closing costs.
| Down Payment | $0 |
| Buyer Closing Costs | $0 |
| VA Funding Fee | $0 |
| Total Cash to Close | $0 |
Your maximum desired monthly payment and purchase price stay based on the qualifying rate (6.5%). Plug in the lender or builder buydown rates below to show your client what each year actually costs.
| Period | Rate | P & I | Total Monthly | Monthly Savings |
|---|
Put in the sales price of a home from your list and see the payment they'd actually be stuck with — using every parameter above (HOA, taxes, disability exemption, interest rate, loan type). This step is a standalone check: it does not change the 3-2-1 buydown above, which is driven only by the Loan Details.
Estimated Monthly Payment
$0
| Principal & Interest | $0 |
| Property Tax | $0 |
| Insurance | $0 |
| HOA | $0 |
| Mortgage Insurance | $0 |
| Total Monthly Payment | $0 |
| Loan Amount | $0 |
| Down Payment | $0 |
| Est. Cash to Close | $0 |
If the payment lands over their max, don't just walk away — go back to the buydown above and show them how the numbers can still work.
Recap this out loud before you leave the table so the buyer walks away knowing their numbers, their deadline, and the next move.
Work backward from the move-in date so the decision deadline doesn't sneak up on them.
Score the homes on the list against the payment, not the sticker price.
Ask the builder or lender to fund the buydown before you ever ask for a price cut.
Now that you've run the scenarios, pick the methodology that fits this buyer's actual situation. Every playbook is simply a different way to land a specific buyer at the table — none of them are the "right" answer by default. The Absolute Maximum Desired Monthly Payment and the numbers above tell you which landing fits.
Everything gets reverse-engineered from the max payment they're able to make — not what feels comfortable.
20% down isn't required, and perfect credit isn't required — buyers have closed with scores as low as 580.
Two different numbers, two different sources of money. Say it plainly before you name a program.
Possible landings to match against their situation
Your lender executes. You explain, and you land the plane.
Bring what you built here to a conversation. With 20+ years in Austin real estate — 13 of them inside a real estate law firm — Esteban will tell you which landing actually fits your situation, and what it takes to get to the table.
All figures are estimates for planning and discussion only — not a loan estimate, pre-approval, or commitment to lend. Actual rates, mortgage insurance, property taxes, insurance premiums, HOA dues, and closing costs vary by lender, property, county, and credit profile. Texas property tax and homestead exemption amounts vary by taxing jurisdiction; confirm your exemption with the county appraisal district. Verify all numbers with your lender before making an offer. Esteban Almaraz · 3 Cords Realty Group · Brokered by eXp Realty · TX License #489049 · Equal Housing Opportunity.