Know the real cost before you commit.
Accurate estimates for mortgages, home improvement and maintenance — local rates, no advertiser spin.
Rate seeded at 7.03% — Freddie Mac PMMS 30-year average, week of September 24, 2026. Taxes at 1.1% and insurance at 0.6% of price per year are illustrative national placeholders and vary most by address. Full mortgage calculator →
New this month.
// 2026 tax changes, local pricing, and the number nobody shows you
of the real cost is your mortgage. The rest is the part nobody quotes.
True Cost of HomeownershipOpen the calculator →What a roof, HVAC, kitchen or floor really costs in your metro — priced off real BLS wage data.
Average premiums in all 50 states and DC, sortable and sourced.
The 30% solar credit ended and the SALT cap quadrupled. What each means for you.
Browse by category.
// from first payment to full remodel
Payments, affordability, refinancing, PMI, FHA & VA loans.
Cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, BRRRR and rental property ROI.
Replacement costs, repair estimates, materials & labor breakdowns.
Heating, cooling, installation and energy-efficiency estimates.
Hardwood, laminate, tile, carpet — cost per sq ft by material.
Remodel budgets, cabinets, countertops, appliances and more.
Installation cost, savings, system size and 2026 post-credit payback.
Roofing, HVAC, kitchen and flooring priced for your metro area.
Annual budgets, repair costs, seasonal prep and inspections.
From the blog.
// long-form explainers for the US, Canada and India, every figure sourced
Who inherits the rental contract, what an old notice of security interest means on title, and what a buyout costs at closing. Ontario rules read from the province's own pages on 2026-10-06.
The association insures the building; you insure what it does not. Where that line falls depends on one sentence in your governing documents. Here is how to find it, size your HO-6, and meet the lender's condo insurance rules.
The corporation insures the building, but a water leak from your unit can put its whole deductible on your bill. How Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec each decide who pays, with worked examples in Canadian dollars.
The lender does not pick a number. It tests your policy against replacement cost, a deductible ceiling and a named-mortgagee clause. Here is each test, the flood exception, and what Massachusetts law says about a lender asking for more.
The interest-free maintenance deposit is not a refund to you, a corpus fund is three different things, and Maharashtra's draft bye-laws cap a resale premium at ₹25,000. We read the rules and mark what no rule caps.
The principal residence exemption, the plus-one year, adjusted cost base, the 12-month flipping rule, CCA recapture on rentals and non-resident withholding, with the arithmetic shown.
Can I DIY this?
// step-by-step guides, honest verdicts, tied to real cost data
Painting a Room
No permit, no licensed trade — the most beginner-friendly project there is.
ConditionalBuilding a Deck
Ground-level is DIY-friendly; elevated decks need real structural care.
ConditionalFaucet & Toilet Swap
Straightforward — as long as your shutoff valves cooperate.
DIY-FriendlyInstalling a Fence
Mostly digging and setting posts — a manageable weekend project.
DIY-FriendlyAttic Insulation
Batt or blown-in — no permit or license required.
ConditionalCeiling Fan Install
Easy with existing wiring; new wiring is a bigger job.
Always free, built for homeowners.
// every calculator free to use — the tool we wished existed before our own purchase