With a couple who has a date in mind
Couples often say 'after the wedding' or 'when the lease ends next year'. A monthly savings figure turns that date into a plan, and gives you a reason to check in as it approaches.
Buyer tools · Savings plan
A savings plan for buyers who've picked a date
The down payment calculator answers 'how long will it take?' This home buyer savings plan calculator answers the reverse: 'we want to buy in two years, so how much do we need to save each month?' It includes closing costs as well as the down payment, and growth on current savings, so the plan is realistic.
- Included on: Team plan and up
- Runs in English and Spanish
- Leads arrive with all 5 results attached
How much should I save each month to buy a house?
Divide the total cash needed (down payment plus closing costs) minus what current savings will grow to, by the months until the purchase date, adjusted for returns. This calculator does that from a target price, down payment and closing-cost percentage, years until purchase, current savings and an annual return.
When you'd send it
When to put the Home Buyer Savings Calculator in front of people
In a New Year newsletter
January is when people make savings plans. A 'buy a home this year or next' email with this calculator gets replies from people quietly planning.
For clients who are relocating later
Buyers moving to your area in a year or two can plan their savings against prices in your market. Send it with a short market note.
What your visitor sees
The future buyer enters a target home price, down payment percentage, closing costs percentage, years until purchase, current savings and an expected annual return. They see the monthly savings needed, the total cash needed, the down payment and closing costs, and what current savings will grow to by purchase.
The lead you receiveA future buyer with a date and a monthly target
The lead shows the Target Home Price, Years Until Purchase, Monthly Savings Needed, Total Cash Needed and Current Savings at Purchase. Pair the purchase window with your CRM reminders, and these leads become planned appointments.
Follow-up that works
- Schedule a check-in about six months before their purchase date to start the pre-approval process.
- Send a short quarterly update on prices in their target range.
- If the monthly figure looks too high, mention lower down payment options and local assistance programs.
- What your visitor enters
- Target Home Price
- their input
- Down Payment (%)
- their input
- Current Savings
- their input
- Closing Costs (%)
- their input
- Years Until Purchase
- their input
- Annual Return (%)
- their input
- What they see (and what you receive)
- Monthly Savings Needed
- their result
- Total Cash Needed
- their result
- Down Payment
- their result
- Closing Costs
- their result
- Current Savings at Purchase
- their result
- Contact and source
- Name, email, phone
- with consent
- Page and campaign
- UTM · referrer
Your plan came out around $1,100 a month to buy in two years at $375,000. I'll send a quick note each quarter on what that budget buys, and we can talk pre-approval about six months out.
Before and after
Your page before and after this calculator
BeforeAfter
Before: Sign up for listing alerts
- Alerts for homes they can't buy yet
- Emails ignored until unsubscribed
- No sense of their timeline
After: Plan your savings
- A monthly target tied to a date
- You know when they'll be ready
- Your updates are relevant to their plan
Reading the results
What each result means for your follow-up
The same figures your visitor sees arrive in your lead record. Here's how to read the ones that matter.
- Monthly Savings Needed
- What the buyer needs to set aside each month to reach the total by the target date, given the return entered. It's the number they'll use to judge whether the plan is realistic.
- Total Cash Needed
- Down payment plus closing costs at the target price. It doesn't include moving costs or reserves.
- Current Savings at Purchase
- What existing savings grow to by the target date at the return entered. A modest return assumption keeps the plan conservative.
What can go wrong
Mistakes that cost agents the lead
Using an aggressive return
Money saved for a near-term purchase usually sits somewhere stable. A high return assumption makes the monthly figure look smaller than it should.
Forgetting rising prices
Target prices can rise over a couple of years. Suggest buyers rerun the plan every few months with an updated price.
Defaulting to 20% down
If the default down payment is 20%, many buyers see an unreachable figure. Let them test lower percentages, and mention mortgage insurance trade-offs.
Inside the Home Buyer Savings Calculator
What your visitor enters (6)
Home & Target
- Target Home Price
- Down Payment (%)
- Closing Costs (%)
- Years Until Purchase
Savings Plan
- Current Savings
- Annual Return (%)
Field names are shown as they appear in the calculator's English interface.
What they see (and what you receive) (5)
- Monthly Savings Needed
- Total Cash Needed
- Down Payment
- Closing Costs
- Current Savings at Purchase
Definitions shown in the calculator (8)
- Down payment
- The part of the purchase price paid in cash at closing rather than borrowed. This calculator figures it as your chosen percentage of the target price. Putting 20% down on a conventional loan generally avoids PMI; smaller down payments are possible but raise the loan amount and monthly cost.
- Closing costs
- Fees and prepaid items due when the purchase closes, such as lender charges, appraisal, title insurance and initial escrow deposits. This calculator estimates them as a percentage of the price, typically 2% to 5% as noted in its inputs. They need to be saved in addition to the down payment.
- Total cash needed
- The down payment plus estimated closing costs: the savings goal for the purchase. It does not include moving costs, repairs or a cash reserve, which lenders sometimes want to see after closing. The calculator compares this goal with the projected value of your savings on the purchase date.
- Monthly savings needed
- The deposit required at the end of each month to close the gap between what your current savings will grow to and the total cash needed by the purchase date. It accounts for growth at your assumed return. If current savings will already cover the goal, the figure is zero.
- Current savings at purchase
- What the money you have saved today is projected to be worth on the purchase date, after compounding monthly at your assumed return. It reduces the amount your new monthly deposits must cover. It excludes the new deposits themselves, which are projected separately and added on top.
- Annual return
- The average yearly return on your home savings, compounded monthly in this calculator. Money needed within a few years is often kept in savings accounts, certificates of deposit or similar low-risk options, so a modest rate is usually a realistic assumption. A higher assumed return lowers the monthly amount required.
- Compound interest
- Earning interest on both your deposits and interest already credited. This calculator compounds monthly, so each month’s growth is added to the balance and earns interest in later months. Over a short savings horizon compounding helps, but most of the goal still comes from the deposits themselves.
- Years until purchase
- The time between today and when you plan to buy. A longer horizon spreads the goal over more monthly deposits and gives savings more time to grow, which lowers the monthly amount. Home prices can also change over that time, so the target price may need revisiting.
Calculator disclaimer
Estimates only. Closing costs are approximated as a percent of the home price; actual costs vary by location and lender. Assumes savings grow at a constant return compounded monthly, with deposits at the end of each month.
Calculator results are estimates for illustration, not Loan Estimates, pre-approvals or offers of credit.
Terms on this page
Questions by topic
Home Buyer Savings Calculator: questions agents ask
How does this differ from the down payment calculator?
The down payment calculator takes a monthly amount and tells you how long it takes. This one takes a date and tells you the monthly amount, and it includes closing costs.
Are closing costs included?
Yes, as a percentage of the target price that the buyer sets. Real closing costs vary by loan and state, so use a realistic local percentage.
What return should buyers use?
A conservative one. Short-term savings for a home are usually kept in low-risk accounts, so a modest yield assumption gives a more reliable plan.
Is a buyer two years out worth my time?
With light-touch follow-up, yes. They've told you when they plan to buy and how much they're saving, which makes it easy to show up at the right time.
What if the monthly figure is unrealistic?
Adjust one lever at a time with them: a later date, a lower price, a smaller down payment or assistance programs. Make it a planning conversation, not a sales one.
Can I suggest specific savings accounts?
No. That's financial advice. Stick to planning figures and refer investment questions to a financial adviser.
Which plan includes this calculator?
Home Buyer Savings is one of the savings tools, which come with the Team plan and up. The other buyer calculators are available on every plan. See pricing.
Where should I use it?
In newsletters, on 'planning to buy' pages, renter content and relocation guides for buyers moving later. It isn't meant for active listings.
Does it run in Spanish?
Yes. It runs in English and Spanish, with a visitor language switch.
Pairs well with
Calculators that pair well with this one
Put the Home Buyer Savings Calculator on your next listing
Included on the Team plan. Try it free for 14 days.