Buyer resources
Cash Needed to Buy
Your numbers
$180,000
2.0% of the price · Example figure — buyer closing costs vary with the loan, price and terms. A lender's Loan Estimate lists them.
Locks, window coverings, small fixes, basics for a new home.
Money you want untouched once you own the home. The right amount is personal.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent anywhere.
Estimate
Total savings target
$232,000
Estimated transaction cash
- Down payment
- $180,000
- Closing costs
- $18,000
- Moving
- $4,000
- Setup & first repairs
- $5,000
- Transaction cash
- $207,000
Desired cash remaining after closing
- Emergency reserve
- $25,000
Why the reserve sits separately
Transaction cash leaves your accounts at or around closing. The reserve is what you intend to still have afterwards, for the water heater that fails in month three. Keeping them apart makes it harder to quietly spend one on the other.
About closing costs
There is no single right percentage. Loan type, lender fees, prepaid taxes and insurance, title and escrow charges, and anything negotiated with the seller all move the number. Treat the figure above as an example to replace with a real estimate.
Keep planning
- Mortgage Payment CalculatorEstimate the full monthly payment — principal and interest, taxes, insurance, HOA and mortgage insurance.
- Homebuying BudgetStart from the monthly amount that feels comfortable and work back to an approximate price range.
- Homebuyer TimelineFrom a year out to closing day — what to do, and roughly when, in the order it tends to happen.
Numbers are a starting point, not a decision.
If you would like to talk through what these figures could mean for a search in San Diego County — areas, timing, what to prioritize — Ardra is glad to help. There is no obligation.
This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only and does not constitute a loan estimate, pre-approval, lending decision or financial advice. Actual rates, taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, HOA fees, loan programs and closing costs vary. Consult a qualified lender, and where appropriate a tax or financial professional, regarding your circumstances.