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All agents are NOT alike! Find out why I am a top real estate expert. Call me: 936-228-5190.

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Before signing a contract with any real estate agent, make sure you know EXACTLY how your home will be marketed.
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Testimonials
"Highly knowledgeable about Lake Conroe property"
"One would be hard-pressed to find another realtor in the Lake conroe area that compares with Kathy Barth".
Dr. Jerry and Darla Oakman
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TripleCalc
Compare three mortgages at one time. Download TripleCalc now. It's free.

Real Estate - Homes - NUMBER1EXPERTS Sell More!
Kathy Barth is one of The Top Selling Real Estate Experts™
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School Reports
See the nation's top rated reports for Schools in Lake Conroe, Montgomery County and Conroe >


Latest Listings
Get the Latest Listings Before Anyone Else!
As soon as I list another home for sale, I'll email you. You'll know first.
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Mortgage Calculators
Welcome > Resources > Mortgage Calculators > Should You Rent or Buy? ...

The Best Mortgage Calculators On the Web! 

Please try my Java loan and mortgage calculators. They take a minute to load, but they are worth it! 

Each calculator has dynamic graphs and charts that change - right before your eyes - as you enter different information. Try each calculator with different interest rates, loan amounts, and payment schedules. 

The mortgage repayment schedule and other reports are fully customizable - just for your home, your interest rate, your loan amount, your taxes, and more. 

Would you like a print out, for your records and future reference? Each calculator includes a View Report button. Click it, hit print, and you have a report, customized just for you... 

Should You Rent or Buy?

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

This Financial Calculator requires a Browser with Java Support


Definitions

Price of home
Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Cash on hand
Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Interest rate
The current interest rate you can receive on your mortgage.

Term in years
The number of years over which you will repay this loan.

Property tax rate
Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate
Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Loan origination rate
The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid
The total number of points paid to reduce the interest rate of your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your mortgage balance.

Other closing costs
Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total closing costs
Total upfront costs to close your loan. This is the sum of the loan origination fee, amount paid for points and other closing costs.

Total for down payment
Total funds remaining for down payment.

Mortgage amount
Total amount of loan.

Investment return
The rate of return you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

The actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to December 2003, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 11.7% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.

Monthly rent payment
Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

Income tax rate
Your current marginal income tax rate.

Expected inflation rate
Inflation rate used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at
Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission
The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment
Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Principal payment
Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Tax savings
The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $280. (At a tax rate of 28%).

Net house payment
Your house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price
Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly PI
Monthly principal and interest payment.

Monthly PMI
Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

The mortgage calculators are provided by KJE Computer Solutions, LLC and made available to NUMBER1EXPERT as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can't guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.



School Reports in Lake Conroe, Montgomery County and Conroe, Texas
"A model of how the Internet can facilitate the process of deciding where to send your children to school"
- America's Best School Profiles by
The Heritage Foundation

Texas Public, Private and Charter Schools: Compare them using these top-rated, comprehensive reports.
  Schools in Lake Conroe, Montgomery County and Conroe 



Real Estate Tips
Working With An Agent >Tell Your Agent

Good communication will enable you to get the best service from the real estate agent who is helping you to buy or sell a home. If you have any concerns, make them known not just to your spouse, your mother and your co-workers, but to the person who can do something about it--your agent!

Real estate sales are extremely complex transactions which involve negotiating large sums of money and turning over the largest single asset most individuals will ever own. Since the possibilities for misunderstandings are great, professional real estate agents work hard to ensure that the transaction will go smoothly. This requires clear communication between the buyers and the sellers and other agents.

Most of the breakdowns in real estate transactions result from vague or inadequate communication prior to the signing of the contract. Express any concerns that you may have and ask about anything you don't understand--the only foolish question is the one that isn't asked!

See All Tips In The "Working With An Agent" Category >
See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

Real Estate Trivia
Q 
What are three of the best indicators of real estate market trends?

A 
Existing home sales, new home building and mortgage interest rates.
See More Real Estate Trivia >


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Kathy Barth, REALTOR®, real estate agent and broker for Lake Conroe, Montgomery County and Conroe Texas home listings, property and land for sale - NUMBER1EXPERT(tm)

Kathy Barth
RE/MAX Conroe Lake Conroe North

14599 Hwy 1097 West
Willis, TX. 77318
Cell: 936-537-4450
Fax: 936-228-5193
Office: 936-228-5190
Email: Kathy@KathyBarth.com

I am committed to bringing you the best results possible to fit your real estate needs. My vast array of experiences, including world travel, entrepreneurial ventures and experience as a licensed Realtor® in this industry helps you, the buyer or seller, achieve results and avoid pitfalls that can happen so easily in transactions. I can make the process a little easier for you in every way. Your first step is choosing the right Realtor and I am that Realtor. I enjoy building personal relationships which last a lifetime. I serve the Lake Conroe and Montgomery areas. REMAX Realtors® are the best safety net you can have when purchasing or selling a property or home. I strive to get you Top dollar when selling your home, and I work hard to find the right home for the buyer. I firmly believe in advanced education due to the faster paced and more complex process of home buying and selling today. This is evident thru my designation of ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist).Nobody in the world sells more real estate than REMAX. My core constituency is all about families and I will help you find your dream home.

ABRCRSEqual HousingMLSREALTOR


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