Mortgages and housing sources and dates

Where the starting numbers for the calculators in this group come from, and the date we checked each one. They are examples, not quotes.

Sources by Calculator

Back to all sources and dates. Each table lists a calculator's starting numbers, source links and check dates.

Mortgage payment and extra savings

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
30-year fixed mortgage rate7.40%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
15-year fixed mortgage rate6.71%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
PMI cancellation thresholds80% request / 78% automatic / month after the midpointConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) & Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901)2026-10-16
Annual property tax rate1.00% ($4,000 on $400k home)ATTOM National Median Property Tax Rate2026-10-08
Homeowners hazard insurance$1,975 / yearInsurance Information Institute (III) & NerdWallet2026-10-08
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) rate0.75% / yearUrban Institute & CFPB Mortgage Insurance Study2026-10-08

Mortgage refinance break-even

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
30-year fixed refinance rate7.40% (example new rate) / 8.25% (example current rate)Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
Average refinance closing costs$6,000 (2% on $300k)Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Closing Disclosure Guide2026-10-08
New York Mortgage Recording Tax0.75% statewide + local county taxesNew York State Department of Taxation and Finance (NY Tax Law Art. 11)2026-10-08
New York CEMA tax exemptionExemption on existing balanceNew York State Department of Taxation and Finance CEMA Rules2026-10-08
Typical holding period7 yearsNational Association of Realtors (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers2026-10-08

Mortgage discount points

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
30-year fixed mortgage rate (zero points)7.40%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
Discount point cost and rate reduction1.0 point (1% of loan) reduces rate by 0.25%CFPB Guide: What are discount points and how do they work?2026-10-08
Tax deductibility of mortgage pointsItemized deduction rulesIRS Publication 936: Home Mortgage Interest Deduction2026-10-16
Planned holding period (stay horizon)7 years (84 months)National Association of Realtors (NAR) Generational Trends2026-10-08
Opportunity cost rate on upfront cash4.0% (example high-yield savings or Treasury bill rate, not a national average)FDIC National Rates and Rate Caps2026-10-16

Mortgage payoff vs investing

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
Mortgage interest rate7.40%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
Investment return assumption8.0%NYU Stern School of Business / Damodaran Historical Returns2026-10-08
Mortgage interest tax deduction (not modeled)2026 standard deduction $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointlyIRS Publication 936 Home Mortgage Interest Deduction and IRS standard deduction amounts2026-10-16
Investment tax drag0.0% defaultIRS Publication 550 Investment Income and Expenses2026-10-08

HELOC vs cash for home improvements

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
HELOC interest rate7.10%Federal Reserve H.15 and Bankrate National HELOC Index2026-10-08
Cash investment return4.0%Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) and Bankrate National High Yield Savings Index2026-10-08
HELOC fees$0 upfront, $50/yrConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Home Equity Lines of Credit Booklet2026-10-08
HELOC tax deductibility0% (standard deduction)IRS Publication 936 Home Mortgage Interest Deduction2026-10-16

Rent vs buy home calculator

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
Mortgage rate7.40%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)2026-10-16
Property tax rate1.00%ATTOM National Median Property Tax Rate2026-10-08
Homeowners insurance$1,975/yrInsurance Information Institute (III) & NerdWallet2026-10-08
Maintenance reserve1.0%/yrHarvard Joint Center for Housing Studies2026-10-08
Transaction costs3.0% buy, 7.0% sellReal Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) & CFPB Closing Studies2026-10-08
Renter investment return7.0%NYU Stern School of Business / Damodaran Benchmark2026-10-08
Tax deductions (not modeled)Standard deduction $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly (2026)IRS: Working Families Tax Cuts, individuals and workers2026-10-16

15-year vs 30-year mortgage

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
Mortgage loan amount$360,000U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Median Home Sales Price2026-10-12
30-year fixed mortgage rate7.40%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey2026-10-16
15-year fixed mortgage rate6.71%Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey2026-10-16
Expected investment return7.0%S&P Dow Jones Indices U.S. Equities Benchmark2026-10-12
Long-term capital gains tax rate15%Internal Revenue Service Topic No. 409 Capital Gains and Losses2026-10-12

Rent increase vs vacancy

Assumption / InputStarting valueSourceChecked
Rent now$1,800 a monthTypical, edit this. Context only: Apartment List, "Which U.S. Metro Areas Are Landlord's Markets? (2026)"2026-10-17
Increase you are weighing$75 a monthTypical, edit this. The $50 to $100 example comes from the question; the Apartments.com guide was unreachable (HTTP 403) and was not read2026-10-17
Rent a new tenant would pay$1,875 a monthTypical, edit this. Set equal to the rent now plus the increase. Context: Apartment List2026-10-17
Months to compare12 monthsTypical, edit this. A round lease length. Context only: Apartment List2026-10-17
Empty months if the tenant leaves1 monthApartment List, national median time on market 31.7 days in August 2026 (about 1.04 months),2026-10-17
Context for empty months: US rental vacancy7.3% in Q2 2026 (7.0% a year earlier), not a defaultU.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey press release of 2026-07-282026-10-17
Context for empty months: New York City1.4% net rental vacancy in 2023, not a defaultNYC Housing Preservation and Development, 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey initial findings2026-10-17
Cash cost of a move-out$1,150 one timeTypical, edit this. Middle of light-turn ranges (cleaning 275 + paint 400 + minor repairs 300 + carpet cleaning 175) from a vendor blog,2026-10-17
Chance the tenant leaves anyway44%RealPage lease data as reported by LeaseLock,2026-10-17
Extra chance they leave because of the increase5 pointsTypical, edit this. No study found that splits renewals by increase size. Searches on 2026-10-17 only returned overall renewal rates, e.g.2026-10-17
Local rent rules (links only)No number usedNY Homes and Community Renewal, Good Cause Eviction and NYC Rent Guidelines Board2026-10-17