Calculators
58 US mortgage and loan calculators, each one a lead form with the borrower's numbers attached.
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Four stages, from the first payment question to the lead in your CRM.
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ResourcesGlossary
Plain definitions of the mortgage and lead-generation terms in our calculators and guides, each with a worked example and why it matters in a pre-qual funnel.
41 terms
41
Every term links to the calculators that use it.
An adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) is a home loan whose interest rate is fixed for an initial period and then resets at regular intervals based on a market index plus a set margin, within limits called rate caps. ARMs usually start with a lower rate than a comparable fixed-rate mortgage.
Amortization is the process of repaying a loan through regular, equal payments that each cover the interest due for the period and reduce the principal by the remainder. Early payments are mostly interest; later payments are mostly principal. An amortization schedule shows that split for every payment until the balance reaches zero.
The annual percentage rate (APR) is the yearly cost of a loan expressed as a single percentage that includes the interest rate plus certain finance charges, such as origination fees and discount points. Lenders must disclose it, which makes APR a useful way to compare offers whose rates and fees differ.
The back-end ratio is the proposed housing payment plus every other recurring monthly debt, divided by gross monthly income. It is the total debt-to-income figure lenders weigh most heavily, because it captures car loans, student loans, card minimums and support payments alongside the new mortgage.
A balloon payment is a large, one-time payment of the remaining balance due at the end of a loan term, when regular payments were calculated on a longer amortization schedule. A seven-year loan amortized over 30 years, for example, leaves most of the principal due as a balloon at year seven.
A bank statement loan is a non-QM mortgage that lets self-employed borrowers document income with 12 or 24 months of personal or business bank statements instead of tax returns. Lenders average eligible deposits and apply an expense factor to estimate qualifying income. Rates, fees and down payment requirements are usually higher than for agency loans.
The break-even point is the number of months it takes for the monthly savings from a lower rate or payment to repay the upfront cost of getting it, such as closing costs or discount points. Keep the loan longer than that and the move pays off; sell or refinance sooner and it costs money.
A cash-out refinance replaces an existing mortgage with a new, larger loan and pays the borrower the difference in cash, minus closing costs. The amount available is limited by the lender's maximum loan-to-value for cash-out loans, so a borrower can tap only part of their home equity.
Closing costs are the fees and prepaid items due when a mortgage closes, on top of any down payment. They include lender charges such as origination and points, third-party services such as appraisal and title insurance, government recording fees and taxes, and prepaids that fund interest and the escrow account.
Compensating factors are strengths in a mortgage application that can offset a weakness, such as a debt-to-income ratio above a program's usual guideline. Common examples are substantial cash reserves, a large down payment, strong credit, minimal increase in housing payment, long job tenure and residual income above the requirement.
The conforming loan limit is the maximum loan amount Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase or guarantee. The FHFA sets it each year, with a national baseline for one-unit homes and higher limits in designated high-cost counties. Loans above the applicable limit are jumbo loans and follow different rules.
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the share of a borrower's gross monthly income that goes to monthly debt payments. Lenders look at a housing-only version (front-end) and a total version (back-end). It is one of the main tests of whether a mortgage payment is affordable on paper.
Discount points are upfront fees a borrower pays the lender at closing in exchange for a lower interest rate. One point equals 1% of the loan amount. How much each point lowers the rate varies by lender and market, so the decision comes down to how long the borrower keeps the loan.
A mortgage escrow account is an account the loan servicer manages to pay the borrower's property taxes and homeowners insurance. Part of each monthly payment goes into the account, and the servicer pays the bills when they are due. The escrow amount is reviewed every year and adjusted when tax or insurance costs change.
The mortgage insurance premium (MIP) is the insurance charged on FHA loans in place of private mortgage insurance. It has two parts: an upfront premium, usually financed into the loan, and an annual premium paid in monthly installments. It protects the lender and funds the FHA insurance program.
The front-end ratio, also called the housing ratio, is the full monthly housing payment divided by gross monthly income. It counts principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance and HOA dues, but no other debts. It shows how much of a borrower's income the home alone would consume.
A HELOC, or home equity line of credit, is a revolving credit line secured by the home, usually in second position behind the first mortgage. The borrower draws funds as needed during a draw period, often paying interest only, then repays principal and interest during a repayment period. Rates are commonly variable.
Home equity is the portion of a home the owner owns outright: its current market value minus the balances of every loan secured by it. Equity grows as the mortgage is paid down and as the property appreciates, and it shrinks if values fall or the owner borrows against the home.
An interest-only loan is a mortgage that requires the borrower to pay only interest for an initial period, often five to ten years, so the balance does not fall. When the interest-only period ends, the payment rises to repay the full principal over the remaining term, which can be a large increase.
A jumbo loan is a mortgage larger than the conforming loan limit for its county, so Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cannot buy it. Lenders keep jumbo loans or sell them privately, which means each lender sets its own standards for credit score, down payment, debt-to-income and cash reserves.
A lead webhook is an automatic HTTP request that sends each new lead's data, usually as JSON, from the system that captured it to another system, such as a CRM, automation platform or custom endpoint. It fires the moment the lead is submitted, so follow-up workflows can start without anyone copying data by hand.
Loan-to-value ratio (LTV) is the mortgage amount divided by the home's appraised value or purchase price, whichever is lower, expressed as a percentage. It measures how much of the property the lender is financing. LTV affects pricing, mortgage insurance, cash-out limits and which programs a borrower can use.
A mortgage recast is when the servicer recalculates the monthly payment after the borrower makes a large lump-sum payment toward principal. The interest rate and maturity date stay the same; the lower balance is simply re-spread over the remaining term, so the required payment drops. Not every loan or servicer allows it.
An NMLS ID is the unique identification number assigned to a mortgage company, branch or individual loan originator through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). It stays with the person or company for life and lets consumers and regulators look up licensing and registration status on NMLS Consumer Access.
PITI stands for principal, interest, taxes and insurance, the four components of a typical monthly mortgage payment. Lenders qualify borrowers on PITI, not principal and interest alone, and usually add mortgage insurance and HOA dues where they apply. It is the housing figure used in debt-to-income ratios.
A mortgage pre-approval is a lender's conditional statement that a borrower qualifies for a specific loan amount, issued after it pulls credit and reviews documents such as pay stubs, W-2s and bank statements. It is stronger than a pre-qualification but still depends on the property, appraisal and final underwriting.
Mortgage pre-qualification is an informal estimate of how much a borrower may be able to borrow, built from the income, debts, assets and down payment they report. It usually involves no document verification and is not a commitment to lend. It is the first, lightest step before a pre-approval and a full application.
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is insurance that protects the lender, not the borrower, on a conventional mortgage when the down payment is under 20% of the value. It is usually paid monthly as part of the mortgage payment and can be removed once enough equity builds up.
Qualifying income is the gross monthly income a lender is willing to use when underwriting a mortgage, based on documentation and a reasonable expectation that it will continue. It is often lower than what a borrower considers their income, because variable, new or undocumented earnings may be averaged, reduced or excluded.
Rate caps are limits on how much an adjustable-rate mortgage's interest rate can change. Most ARMs have three: an initial adjustment cap, a periodic cap for each later adjustment and a lifetime cap over the life of the loan. Caps are written into the loan documents and are often shown as three numbers, such as 2/1/5.
A rate-and-term refinance replaces an existing mortgage with a new one to change the interest rate, the loan term or both, without taking meaningful cash out. Borrowers use it to lower the payment, shorten the term, switch from an adjustable to a fixed rate or remove mortgage insurance.
Mortgage reserves are the liquid or near-liquid assets a borrower still has after paying the down payment and closing costs, usually measured in months of the full housing payment. They show the lender a cushion against job loss or unexpected expenses, and larger reserves can strengthen an otherwise borderline file.
Residual income is the money a household has left each month after paying taxes, the new housing payment, recurring debts and estimated maintenance and utilities. VA loans use it as a key qualifying test alongside debt-to-income, comparing the result with a minimum that varies by family size, loan amount and region.
RESPA Section 8 is the part of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act that prohibits giving or accepting anything of value for referrals of settlement service business on federally related mortgage loans, and bars splitting fees for services not actually performed. It is the main reason mortgage co-marketing must be structured carefully.
Speed-to-lead is the elapsed time between a prospective borrower submitting an inquiry and the loan officer's first meaningful contact. In mortgage lending, a borrower who just ran the numbers is most engaged in the minutes after submitting, so shorter response times generally mean more conversations, provided outreach respects consent rules.
TCPA consent is the permission a business generally needs under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act before making certain marketing calls or texts, especially with automated dialing systems or prerecorded or artificial voices. For telemarketing, that typically means prior express written consent, given clearly and not required as a condition of buying anything.
Trigger leads are lists of consumers sold to other lenders after a credit bureau sees a mortgage-related credit inquiry, signalling that the person is shopping for a loan. Competing lenders then contact the borrower, often within hours. A federal law signed in 2025 restricts how these leads can be sold.
The USDA guarantee fee is the cost a borrower pays for the federal guarantee on a USDA Rural Development guaranteed home loan. It comes in two parts: a one-time upfront fee, usually financed into the loan, and an annual fee collected monthly. Together they play the role mortgage insurance plays on other loans.
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL, such as utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, that tell analytics and lead-capture tools where a visitor came from. They let a loan officer see which ad, email, post or partner produced each lead instead of guessing.
The VA funding fee is a one-time charge on most VA-guaranteed home loans that helps fund the program in place of monthly mortgage insurance. Its size depends on the down payment and whether the borrower has used VA loan benefits before. It can be financed, and many veterans with service-connected disabilities are exempt.
White-label describes software that a business presents under its own brand rather than the vendor's. For a mortgage calculator funnel, that means removing the vendor credit, serving calculators from the loan officer's or brokerage's own domain, and sending branded emails and portals, so borrowers see one consistent brand throughout.
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FAQ · 6 questions
Usually not, because a typical pre-qualification relies on what you report rather than a credit pull. Some lenders run a soft inquiry, which does not affect scores. A hard inquiry normally comes later, at pre-approval or application.
There is no fixed expiry, since it is only an estimate. It stays useful until your income, debts, savings or market rates change enough to move the math. Most buyers should move on to a pre-approval before making offers.
On gross monthly income, before taxes, retirement contributions and health premiums. Using take-home pay makes the ratio look worse than the one a lender will calculate.
Generally no. DTI counts debts that appear on a credit report or court order, plus the housing payment. Everyday living costs are left out, which is why a ratio can look fine while a budget still feels tight.
As fast as you can respond helpfully and within consent, ideally minutes rather than hours. Track your own median response time and work to lower it.
Only if you have the consent required for that kind of message and your process follows TCPA and state rules. Confirm your consent language and workflow with your compliance team or counsel.
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