Sources
The recurring authoritative sources cited across the site, plus the methodology references the calculators rely on. Every empirical claim on a page is cited to a specific source, this page is the index.
How we cite
Each article’s sources appear in a numbered Sources block at the bottom of the page, with inline superscript citations linking to the relevant source for each empirical claim. Citations are to the most-authoritative source available, typically a federal agency or industry-standard publisher rather than a secondary commentator.
Source URLs are checked at publication. When citations rot, the underlying page moves or disappears, we either find the new URL or update the citation to a more durable source. Readers who notice broken citations are encouraged to flag them at /contact.
Recurring authoritative sources
- CFPB
The federal agency that publishes consumer-facing guidance on mortgages, closing, escrow, and related topics. Source for the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure rules, the Homeowners Protection Act PMI cancellation rules, and most of the standard regulatory framing on the buying side.
Examples: Ask CFPB explainers, Owning a Home guides, Regulation X (RESPA), Regulation Z (TILA) - IRS
Authority for tax-related claims about home sales, mortgage interest deduction, the § 121 exclusion, depreciation recapture, and the SALT cap. We cite specific IRS Publications when possible.
Examples: Pub 523 (Selling Your Home), Pub 936 (Mortgage Interest), Pub 530 (Tax Information for Homeowners), Topic No. 701 - Source
The Selling Guide is the authoritative reference for conforming conventional underwriting, appraisal standards, mortgage insurance requirements, and refinance rules. Cited frequently for product-specific underwriting claims.
Examples: Selling Guide (B series), Eligibility Matrix, Appraisal Overview - Source
Sister agency to Fannie Mae, with parallel underwriting standards and the Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) rate data. The PMMS weekly average is the headline 30-year fixed rate quoted in news coverage.
Examples: Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide, PMMS rate survey - HUD
Authority for FHA loan rules, mortgage insurance premium structure, and FHA-specific underwriting and appraisal standards.
Examples: FHA Single Family Mortgage Insurance Premiums, FHA Handbook 4000.1 - VA
Authority for VA loan rules, funding fee schedules, eligibility requirements, and the IRRRL refinance product.
Examples: VA Home Loans guidance, Funding Fee tables - Source
Federal Reserve Economic Data, hosted by the St. Louis Fed. The canonical source for 30-year mortgage rate history (MORTGAGE30US series) and home-price indices used in calculator illustrations.
Examples: MORTGAGE30US, MSPUS (Median Sales Price), CSUSHPISA (Case-Shiller) - NAR
Industry research organization; cited for transaction-volume statistics, the annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and information about the 2024 NAR settlement and its practice changes.
Examples: Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, Settlement Practice Changes FAQ - ALTA
The trade association for the title insurance industry; authority for title insurance policy structure, ALTA settlement statement form, and the title-search and closing-process conventions.
Examples: Title Insurance Consumer Information, ALTA Settlement Statement form - Source
For state-specific transfer taxes, mortgage taxes, mansion taxes, and other jurisdictional charges. We cite the specific state agency in each state-data note.
Examples: NY Department of Taxation and Finance (mansion tax), Florida Department of Revenue (documentary stamp), CA State Board of Equalization (transfer tax base)
Calculator methodology
Every calculator on the site has its math documented in the “How we calculate this” panel at the bottom of the calculator page. The documentation covers the exact formulas used, the default assumptions, the sensitivity behavior, and the edge cases that the calculator handles or doesn’t.
For more detail, the underlying methodology document defines every formula and assumption across the six calculators, PITI, affordability, amortization, closing costs, rent vs. buy, and seller net proceeds, including the ARM scenarios, FHA UFMIP and MIP duration rules, VA funding fee tables, and § 121 capital-gains exclusion math. The methodology is open and revisable; any reader who spots an error in the math is encouraged to flag it.
State-specific data
The closing-costs estimator and seller-net-proceeds calculator use state-specific data, transfer tax rates, customary payer conventions, attorney requirements, title-insurance regulation, and per-state quirks like New York’s mansion tax and New Jersey’s post-2025 seller mansion tax. Each state’s data is sourced from the relevant state revenue or taxation department, the state bar association’s closing-practice guidance, and the state realtor association where they publish on transaction conventions.
State data is reviewed at least annually and when major regulatory changes are flagged. The most recent material change captured in the data was the 2025 New Jersey mansion-tax restructuring (FY 2026 budget signed June 30, 2025), which shifted the fee from buyer to seller and converted the structure to a tiered cliff.