About HomeCalc: free home-buying calculators

HomeCalc is a set of free calculators for checking a home purchase before you sign: what you pay each month once a promotional rate ends, whether paying early is worth it, and what the fees and taxes come to. The home can be anywhere. Today the site covers three markets: Vietnam, the United States and China.

Who it is for

Anyone thinking about buying a home to live in or to rent out, for the first time or not. You pick the language and the country separately, so you can read in English about a flat in Vietnam, or in Vietnamese about a house in the United States. When a term only exists in one market, the page explains it where you meet it.

How the figures are made

The calculations run in your browser, on the numbers you enter. Fees, taxes and default values follow the law of the country where the home is. Each one lists its document, article and the date it was last checked, on the legal sources page for Vietnam, the United States and China.

The guides explain how each part is worked out, for example how declining-balance and annuity repayments differ, or how a prepayment penalty is calculated.

Independent of sellers and lenders

No bank, lender, developer or broker pays to appear on the site or to change a figure. The site does not name them either.

How the site is funded

The site is free. Some pages may show ads or partner links, and the site may earn money from them. Ads load only after you accept them. Ads and partner links never change a result. The privacy page has the details.

Estimates, not advice

Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and the defaults shown on the page. They are not financial, legal or tax advice. Your lender and tax office set the actual rate, fees and taxes at the time of the transaction, so check with them before you sign.

Spotted a wrong figure or an out-of-date rule? Get in touch.