Home True Cost

About

Home True Cost shows you what a Zillow listing will actually cost you every month — not just the asking price.

WHAT IT SHOWS ON EVERY LISTING:
• True monthly cost — mortgage (live rate from Federal Reserve), property tax, home insurance, and maintenance reserve combined into one number
• Personal fit score (0–100) — based on your income, budget target, and the home's condition
• Maintenance breakdown — per-system estimates for roof, HVAC, water heater, plumbing, electrical, exterior, and appliances
• Auto-detection — reads the listing description to find recently replaced systems ("new roof 2022", "new HVAC") and adjusts estimates accordingly
• Near-term repair budget — flags systems that are overdue or due within 5 years with a total lump-sum estimate so you're not caught off guard after closing
• Dismiss systems — click ✓ on any maintenance row to mark it as confirmed OK and remove it from your cost
• Search card badges — estimated monthly cost overlaid on every listing card while you browse search results
• Commute link — one click to Google Maps directions from the house to your work zip code
• Neighborhood link — one click to NeighborhoodScout for crime, schools, and demographic data

HOW IT WORKS:
Set your gross monthly income, down payment %, budget target %, and work zip code once in settings. Home True Cost then calculates your personalized numbers on every listing automatically — no clicking, no copy-pasting addresses.

The live 30-year mortgage rate is pulled daily from the Federal Reserve (FRED) so your numbers are always current.

PRIVACY:
All calculations happen in your browser. Your settings are stored locally. No personal data is collected or sent anywhere except to fetch the live mortgage rate from the Federal Reserve.

Built for first-time buyers and anyone tired of doing this math in a spreadsheet.