How the cash plan is assembled
Use this calculator to separate four different ideas that are often blurred together: down payment, loan amount, estimated cash to close and cash reserves you want to keep after closing.
The model multiplies purchase price by the entered down-payment percentage, subtracts that amount from price to estimate the financed balance, and adds entered closing costs to the down payment for a simple cash-to-close estimate. Reserves are then shown separately and added only to the broader cash plan—not to cash paid at closing.
Purchase price × down-payment %Converts the percentage assumption to dollars.
Purchase price − down paymentBefore financed fees or product-specific adjustments.
Down payment + closing costs + retained reservesReserves remain a planning target rather than a closing charge.
Start with the contract or target purchase price.
Enter a down-payment percentage appropriate for the scenario you want to compare.
Add a separate closing-cost estimate rather than burying it in the down payment.
Set a reserve amount you want to retain after closing and compare total cash needs with liquid funds.
Best used for
- Comparing 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% down scenarios
- Separating cash-to-close from post-closing reserves
- Planning how a larger down payment changes the financed amount
What this tool does not answer
- The tool does not determine a required down payment.
- It does not calculate product-specific mortgage insurance or seller/lender credits.
- The closing-cost input must be estimated separately from actual disclosures.
How to read a sample result
Illustrative example: on a $400,000 purchase, 15% down equals $60,000 and leaves a $340,000 modeled loan amount. Adding $12,000 of closing costs gives $72,000 of simple cash to close; keeping $15,000 of reserves produces an $87,000 total cash plan.
The methodology below explains how this calculator treats the inputs and assumptions. Replace the sample values with your own planning figures. Results are estimates, not quotes, approvals, disclosures or recommendations.
Inputs and units
Purchase price, down-payment percentage, closing costs and reserve target. All currency entries are U.S. dollars. Percentage fields take a number such as 6 for six percent, not 0.06. Repayment terms marked in months use whole months; horizons marked in years use whole years.
Calculation workspace
Enter your own figures in the calculator above. The starting values are examples only. No personal identifiers are needed to run a scenario.
How to interpret the result
Read every result together with the assumptions you entered. Changing an input changes the scenario, not product availability. Displayed amounts are rounded for readability.
Assumptions and limitations
Reserves are money retained, not automatically money paid at closing. Program minimums are not supplied by this model.
Review more than one scenario
Run a base case and then change one uncertain input at a time. Compare a shorter holding period, a higher cost or a different repayment term where those inputs are supported. Record which costs have not been entered. A precise-looking number can still rest on uncertain assumptions.
Invalid inputs and error recovery
If an input is missing or outside the calculator’s supported range, the page will ask you to correct it. Use negative values only in fields that explicitly allow them. A calculation error is not a credit decision.
Model documentation
The calculator methodology explains the inputs, assumptions and supported models. Use the result for planning and compare it with the provider’s written terms and applicable disclosures before making a decision.
Choose a product for your calculation
Use these comparisons for planning; final eligibility, pricing and terms are set by the provider.
Program references and comparison sources
CFPB: Loan Estimate explainer — Comparison of covered mortgage disclosures, cash to close, points, lender credits and monthly costs.
CFPB: Understand the different kinds of loans available — Loan structures, terms and repayment risks; not provider-specific eligibility.
Check the linked source for its effective date and applicable scope. A source link is not a lender partnership or an individual offer.