A $5 Excel mortgage calculator for people who want PITI, refi math, and equity before they sign
Buying a home usually starts with a payment number, but the real question is what that number hides: property tax, insurance, future balance, what happens if rates move, and whether a lump-sum payment is worth the friction. That is the gap Ekostack’s Home Mortgage Calculator tries to close. For $5, it is a small Excel workbook with enough moving parts to feel like a home-buying copilot rather than another single-line payment estimator. If you are comparing houses, debating a 15-year versus 30-year loan, or just want to understand the Loan Estimate before signing, this is the kind of tool that can make the process less foggy.
Quick answer
| Best for | Buyers who want one Excel file to check PITI, debt ratios, extra payments, refi break-even, and equity milestones before they commit. |
| Skip if | You only need a quick payment estimate, use Google Sheets instead of Excel, or your loan has very custom fees that do not fit standard mortgage fields. |
| Price | $5 |
| Format | One .xlsx workbook with calculator, amortization, scenario, recast/refi, appreciation, and education tabs |
| One-line take | A cheap, practical way to see the full monthly cost and long-term equity story before you fall in love with a house. |
What you’re actually buying
At $5, the value is not one calculator; it is the set of answers you can run before a lender makes them official. The main tab asks for purchase price, down payment, interest rate, loan term, state, household income, and other debts, then builds the full PITI breakdown instead of stopping at principal and interest. State-level property tax and income tax rates are pulled in for all 50 states, and the sheet checks the common 28% front-end and 36% back-end affordability rules, so you can see whether the house fits your budget, not just whether the sticker price feels right.
The more interesting part is what happens after the first payment. You can test extra payments and lump sums, watch how interest savings and months shaved change, and compare up to four loan scenarios at once. That is useful when you are weighing a shorter term, a bigger down payment, a different rate, or two homes at different price points. The rate sensitivity table also shows monthly payments across eight rates from 4% to 8%, which is handy when rates are moving or when you and a partner are arguing about the same spreadsheet.
Where it feels worth the price is the long game. The amortization schedule walks through each payment, principal, interest, extra payment, remaining balance, and cumulative interest, while the appreciation projector shows estimated home value, loan balance, and equity at major milestones through year 30. The education section goes beyond definitions and explains how mortgage rates are set, when points can make sense, how to read a Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, what is negotiable, and common sales tactics to watch. It is the kind of workbook that can make you feel less like a customer and more like a person who knows what they are buying.
Why it’s on our radar
The public page shows 14 ratings, averaging 5.0 stars. For a $5 spreadsheet, that is a small but meaningful sample, and the perfect average suggests buyers found the file useful.
What actually matters
- Check your Excel setup first. The file is built for Microsoft Excel 2016 or later and is delivered as one .xlsx file, so if you live in Google Sheets, confirm whether your workflow can handle it.
- Treat state tax rates as a starting point. The workbook auto-populates state-level property tax and income tax rates for all 50 states, but local assessments, exemptions, and insurance quotes can differ. Compare the PITI estimate against your lender’s Loan Estimate before making a decision.
- Use the scenario tab for the real decision. If you are choosing between a 15-year and 30-year loan, or between two homes, the scenario comparison is where the answer becomes clearer than a single payment number.
- Read the education tab before you feel rushed. The plain-English mortgage section is especially useful if you are buying your first home or want to understand points, closing costs, and what is negotiable.
Mid-check
If you want to see the current file, tabs, and price before checkout, View on Gumroad.
FAQ
Is this a subscription or a one-time download?
No. The product is a one-time $5 download of a single .xlsx file.
Do I need finance experience to use it?
No. The sheet is designed so you enter your numbers in the green cells and the calculations update automatically.
Can I compare more than one loan?
Yes. The scenario comparison tab supports up to four loan scenarios at once, which is useful for different rates, terms, loan amounts, or extra payments.
Does it cover the full loan life?
Yes. The amortization schedule shows each payment across the life of the loan, including principal, interest, extra payments, remaining balance, and cumulative interest.
Will it replace a lender’s quote?
No. It is a planning and comparison tool. Use it to prepare questions and sanity-check numbers, then confirm the official terms with your lender.
Bottom line
If you are about to shop for a home, the most annoying part is often not the house tour; it is the fog around taxes, interest, equity, and what a refi could actually save. This $5 Excel mortgage workbook is worth a look if you want a single file that turns those questions into numbers you can compare. It is not a lender, but it is a useful way to walk into the process with a clearer picture and fewer surprises.