Rooofread tools · The Real Number
What will this home actually cost your life?
Go beyond the mortgage. See what remains after housing, normal life and the things you’re saving for.
What The Real Number calculates
Your mortgage payment isn’t your housing budget. The Real Number combines the ongoing costs of owning a home with the rest of your household spending and savings goals to show what’s left each month.
What it includes
Mortgage payments, property tax, condo or strata fees, home insurance, utilities and a maintenance allowance sit alongside transportation, debt payments, everyday spending and planned savings. Closing costs and accessible cash are tracked separately to show the emergency buffer left after buying. Add more expenses in Realistic or Deep dive mode; costs you leave at zero are excluded.
How to read your result
Monthly breathing room is what remains after the expenses and savings you entered. A positive number only covers costs included in your model. Check cash after closing too: a comfortable monthly budget can still leave a funding gap on purchase day. Emergency runway expresses remaining cash as months of modeled essential spending, not a guarantee of how long it will last.
How the calculation works
Take-home income minus housing, household spending and planned savings gives monthly breathing room. The mortgage calculation uses your rate, down payment and amortization, with semi-annual compounding by default. Closing costs reduce accessible cash once. A scenario can change income, recurring costs or one-time spending; temporary income losses are averaged over a year. Taxes outside the supported automatic rules require verified entered amounts.
Read the full methodology, coverage and dated sources →
Questions this tool can help answer
- What would be left after housing and our normal bills?
- Could we manage on one income?
- How much cash would remain after closing and an unexpected repair?