Tools
Home calculators
Two plain English estimators for Middle Tennessee buyers: how much house you might afford, and a ballpark for closing and title cash. These are educational ranges, not lender approval and not a Closing Disclosure. When you want to walk the numbers together, call or text 615-943-1644.
Mortgage
How much house can you afford?
How much house can you afford?
Let’s walk through what “affordable” actually means, before you fall in love with a listing.
A quick estimate looks at your income, your monthly debts, how much you’re putting down, a sample interest rate, and a rough allowance for property taxes and homeowners insurance. Those escrow pieces matter here in Middle Tennessee as much as principal and interest. Lenders also care about DTI (debt-to-income): how much of your monthly income is already spoken for by housing and other debts.
Rules of thumb exist (housing as a share of income, and total debts as a share of income), but they’re a starting conversation, not a scoreboard. Credit, loan type, reserves, and lender overlays can move the line. This calculator is a ballpark, not a pre-approval. When you’re ready, a lender who knows Tennessee can run the real numbers with your documents.
Useful inputs to have handy:
- Gross monthly income (and any co-borrower income)
- Car loans, student loans, credit cards, and other fixed monthly debts
- Down payment you’re comfortable with (and whether gift funds are in the picture)
- A rate scenario to test (rates move; we’re estimating, not locking)
When you cut through the noise, aim for a payment that still leaves room for the life you’re moving here for. Max payment on a spreadsheet is not the same thing as a Tuesday that still works.
Affordability calculator
Results stay empty until you tap Estimate affordability. No numbers leave this page.
What this assumes
- Uses the lower of front-end (housing-only) and back-end (housing + debts) caps.
- Monthly housing = principal & interest + property tax + insurance + HOA.
- Fixed-rate amortizing loan; no PMI, points, or lender overlays modeled.
- 28/36 guidelines are industry rules of thumb, not lender approval.
Disclaimer: Not a pre-approval or commitment to lend. Rates, taxes, insurance, and credit guidelines vary. Talk with a lender and with Trey (615-943-1644) before making offers.
Closing & title
Closing costs and title: Middle Tennessee edition
Closing costs and title: Middle Tennessee edition
Let’s walk through what shows up when you buy here: fees, taxes, and the prepaid items that aren’t really “fees” at all.
Closing costs are the one-time charges tied to the loan and the closing. Prepaids (homeowners insurance, property-tax escrow, prepaid interest) are money set aside so you’re funded at day one. They feel like cash-to-close, but they’re reserves, not a lender markup. Treat this tool as a line-item estimate, not a quote. Your Loan Estimate (LE) and Closing Disclosure (CD) are what control.
What you’ll often see on a Mid-TN purchase
- Lender / third-party (often shoppable): origination or underwriting, appraisal, credit, flood cert, optional points
- Title & settlement: title search, escrow/closing fee, lender’s title (protects the loan) and owner’s title (protects you)
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Tennessee recordation taxes (FACT: TN DOR REC-1):
- Realty transfer (conveyance) tax: 37¢ per $100 of consideration or value (same math as $3.70 per $1,000)
- Indebtedness (mortgage / deed of trust) tax: $0.115 per $100 of the loan, with the first $2,000 exempt when you’re financing
- Recording page fees: county register charges (Davidson Metro ROD publishes $5/page, $10 minimum + $2 DP fee; other Mid-TN counties: confirm with that county’s ROD; don’t copy Davidson as statewide)
- Prepaids / escrow: HOI, tax months, prepaid interest days: cash at closing, not “junk fees”
Who pays what: statute vs what we often see
Here’s the important Middle Tennessee wrinkle:
- FACT (statute / TN DOR REC-11): the grantee (buyer) is the responsible party for the realty transfer tax.
- ASSUMPTION / local custom: on many Mid-TN resale contracts, the seller still agrees to pay transfer tax and/or the owner’s title policy. That’s negotiable, not automatic law.
- Indebtedness tax typically lands with the borrower when there’s a new loan.
So the calculator should compute the statutory transfer-tax amount, then let you choose Buyer / Seller / Split for who pays on your contract. Don’t treat “seller pays” as a free rule. Treat it as a custom you’ll confirm in writing.
Shop vs fixed (CFPB-style plain English)
On a Loan Estimate, some lines are shoppable (you can compare providers, often title/settlement and some third-party items) and some are more fixed to your lender’s quote. Use this page to learn the buckets, then compare at least a couple of Loan Estimates before you lock in. A calculator is homework; the LE/CD is the test.
Title insurance in plain English
The title search looks for liens, ownership gaps, and other clouds on the record. Title insurance helps protect against covered problems that weren’t caught (or couldn’t reasonably be known) before closing. Lender’s policy protects the loan; owner’s policy protects you. Base premiums are filed rates in practice. We don’t invent a dollar-per-thousand schedule here. Ask title for the filed quote on your file.
Ballpark vs FACT
Industry explainers often cite buyer closing costs around ~2 to 5% of price. That’s an ASSUMPTION / national range, not a Tennessee statute. Use it only as orientation. TN transfer and indebtedness lines above are the sourced FACT rates in this tool.
Educational only. Not legal, tax, or lending advice. Wire instructions and final numbers come from your title company and lender. If a line looks fuzzy, we’ll walk through it before you send a dollar. Call or text 615-943-1644.
Closing cost estimate (TN line items)
Pick a price and options, then tap estimate. Low / mid / high ranges show up here.
What’s FACT vs estimate
- FACT: TN transfer tax: 37¢ per $100 of consideration or value (TN DOR REC-1). Same as $3.70 per $1,000.
- FACT: payer conflict: Statute → buyer (grantee) pays transfer tax (TN DOR REC-11). Mid-TN custom often has seller pay. Use the payer toggle; don’t hardcode seller.
- FACT: indebtedness tax: $0.115 per $100 of loan; first $2,000 exempt (TN DOR REC-1). Usually borrower when financed.
- FACT: Davidson page fees only when Davidson selected: $5/page, $10 minimum + $2 DP (Metro Nashville ROD). Other counties = confirm ROD.
- Custom: Seller often pays owner’s title on Mid-TN resale; buyer pays lender’s (negotiable).
- Estimate: Title premiums, lender fees, prepaids: override with quotes; we don’t invent filed title schedules.
- ASSUMPTION: Any leftover “2 to 5% of price” orientation is industry range, not statute.
Shop = compare providers (often title/settlement and some third parties). Fixed = tied to the lender quote you’re modeling. Always reconcile to your Loan Estimate.
Disclaimer: Estimates only. Not legal, tax, or lending advice. Statutory tax math uses published TN DOR / Davidson ROD figures cited above; everything else is Estimate or Custom. Your LE, CD, and title commitment control. Realty silo. Trey Sugg / Middle Tennessee. Call or text Trey: 615-943-1644 · suggsells@gmail.com.
Property search
Search listings
Search Middle Tennessee homes with RealScout, then use the home value tool below when you want a quick estimate.
Home value
What’s your home worth?
Get a RealScout home value estimate. Useful when you’re weighing sell vs stay, or shopping the next move. We still walk comps before any pricing decision.
Want a second set of eyes on the math?
I’ll help you sanity-check affordability and closing cash before you write an offer.