Who this calculator is for
Use this once you have a purchase contract, or a realistic target price and an actual Loan Estimate, and want every cash category in one place instead of scattered across a PDF. It suits a buyer double-checking a lender's Loan Estimate line by line, or comparing how a larger down payment or a seller credit changes the total cash needed on closing day.
What each field means
- Purchase price and down payment set the loan amount and the largest single cash item.
- Lender fees are the origination and underwriting charges section A/B of a Loan Estimate lists.
- Title and escrow covers the title company or attorney handling the closing, separate from the lender.
- Inspection and appraisal are third-party charges paid before closing, often out of pocket.
- Prepaids and initial escrow deposit are interest, insurance, and tax amounts collected in advance to fund your escrow account.
- Seller or lender credit reduces cash needed, but only the amount your signed contract or Loan Estimate documents.
- Cash reserve after closing is money you choose to keep untouched — it is not a closing charge.
How this calculator works
It adds the figures you enter, subtracts documented seller or lender credits, and separates the reserve you want to retain after closing. It does not manufacture local fees or claim that a number is your final Closing Disclosure.
A worked example, using the figures already loaded above
On a $400,000 purchase with 10% down, the down payment alone is $40,000. Adding the default lender fees ($4,500), title and escrow ($3,000), inspection and appraisal ($1,350 combined), and prepaids plus initial escrow ($3,900) brings the subtotal to $52,750. Subtracting the $2,000 documented credit leaves $50,750 in cash to close. Add the $12,000 reserve this buyer chose to keep on hand, and the total cash plan is $62,750. This example uses the default numbers shown in the fields above; change any field and the totals update.
How to interpret the result
"Cash to close" is what the closing table actually requires; the "total cash plan" adds back the cushion you asked to keep. If your available cash is close to the cash-to-close figure with little left for the reserve, that is a signal to revisit the down payment, ask about a lender or seller credit, or delay closing rather than arrive with nothing left after the transaction.
What to verify
- Lender fees, prepaids, and escrow: compare with the current Loan Estimate and, later, the Closing Disclosure.
- Title and escrow: obtain an estimate from the title/escrow company handling the transaction.
- Credits: confirm that the signed contract or lender documentation permits and states the credit.
- Taxes and special assessments: verify with the appropriate local and transaction sources. This tool does not predict a parcel bill.
Why this is an estimate, not a disclosure
Every category here is a number you typed in; none is fetched from a lender or county system. Actual figures depend on the lender, title company, property, and state, and can move between the Loan Estimate and the final Closing Disclosure. Treat this as a planning total to compare against those documents, not a replacement for them.
Common mistakes
- Entering an estimated title/escrow fee from a different state or county than the property, when these fees are set locally.
- Counting a verbal seller concession before it is written into the contract or Loan Estimate.
- Leaving the cash reserve at zero, then being surprised that "cash to close" alone does not cover moving costs or an early repair.
- Comparing this planning total directly to a bank balance without also checking the timing — some prepaids and escrow amounts shift between the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.
Related guides and calculators
- Closing-cost breakdown — what belongs in each category above, explained line by line.
- Closing Disclosure checklist — compare this plan against your final document before signing.
- True Monthly Home Cost calculator — the ongoing monthly cost that follows this one-time cash requirement.
- Down Payment calculator — see how a different down payment percentage changes this total.
Sources and limits
This calculator does not use automatic local cost defaults. Its categories follow the consumer-facing Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure frameworks from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It is a personal planning aid, not a lender quote, disclosure, tax calculation, legal advice, or guarantee.