When a lead says 'we're not ready yet'
Instead of 'I'll check back in six months', send this calculator. The buyer sets a goal, sees the timeline, and you get a lead with a date attached, which you can put in your CRM as a follow-up.
Buyer tools · Long-term nurture
A down payment calculator for buyers who are a year out
Not every buyer is ready now. This down payment savings calculator shows how long it will take to reach a down payment goal from current savings and a monthly amount. It's how agents capture buyers twelve to twenty-four months out, and stay the person they call when the savings goal is met.
- Included on: every plan
- Runs in English and Spanish
- Leads arrive with all 5 results attached
How long does it take to save for a down payment?
It depends on the target price, the down payment percentage, current savings, how much is saved each month and the interest earned. This calculator works out the time to save from those inputs, so a buyer can see whether their plan gets them there in a year or in five.
When you'd send it
When to put the Down Payment Calculator in front of people
In your sphere newsletter
Friends and past clients' children, renters and young families often aren't ready. A 'how long until you can buy?' tool in a newsletter generates replies from people you'd otherwise never hear from.
With renters at an open house
Many open-house visitors are renters 'just looking'. A QR code to this calculator gives them something useful, and it gives you a way to stay in touch until they're ready.
What your visitor sees
The future buyer enters a target home price, a down payment goal percentage, current savings, a monthly savings amount and the APY their savings earn. The result is the time to save, the down payment target, how much is still needed, and a summary of current savings and monthly contributions.
The lead you receiveA future buyer with a timeline you can work to
You'll see the Target Home Price, the Down Payment Target, the amount Still Needed and the Time to Save. A buyer who is eight months away belongs in a different follow-up plan from one who is four years away, and now you know which.
Follow-up that works
- Set a CRM reminder a couple of months before their savings date to start the pre-approval conversation.
- Send occasional market updates for their target price range, so they see what their budget buys.
- When they're close, introduce the first-time homebuyer calculator to plan for closing costs too.
- What your visitor enters
- Target Home Price
- their input
- Down Payment Goal (%)
- their input
- Current Savings
- their input
- Monthly Saving
- their input
- Savings APY (%)
- their input
- What they see (and what you receive)
- Time to Save
- their result
- Down Payment Target
- their result
- Still Needed
- their result
- Current Savings
- their result
- Monthly Contribution
- their result
- Contact and source
- Name, email, phone
- with consent
- Page and campaign
- UTM · referrer
Totally fine. Here's a quick calculator to see how long the down payment will take: [link]. If you send me the date it gives you, I'll check in a few months before with what's on the market.
Before and after
Your page before and after this calculator
BeforeAfter
Before: Call me when you're ready
- The buyer forgets you within weeks
- You have no idea when they'll be ready
- They buy with whoever is in front of them at that point
After: See when you can buy
- The buyer sets a goal and sees a timeline
- You get a date to plan your follow-up around
- You're the agent who helped them plan
Reading the results
What each result means for your follow-up
The same figures your visitor sees arrive in your lead record. Here's how to read the ones that matter.
- Time to Save
- How long until savings reach the down payment target with the monthly amount and APY entered. Put it in your CRM as the expected purchase window.
- Still Needed
- The gap between current savings and the target. Large gaps are where assistance programs, a lower down payment or a lower price come in.
- Down Payment Target
- The target price times the goal percentage. If the buyer chose 20% by default, mention that lower down payment options exist.
What can go wrong
Mistakes that cost agents the lead
Forgetting closing costs
The down payment isn't all the cash a buyer needs. Once they're close, switch to home buyer savings or the first-time buyer calculator, which include closing costs.
Using an unrealistic APY
Savings yields change. If the default APY is high, the timeline looks shorter than it will be. Keep it modest.
Letting the lead go cold
The value of this lead is the timeline. If it sits in a contact list with no reminder, it's wasted. Tag and schedule it the day it arrives.
Inside the Down Payment Calculator
What your visitor enters (5)
Home & Down Payment Goal
- Target Home Price
- Down Payment Goal (%)
Savings Plan
- Current Savings
- Monthly Saving
- Savings APY (%)
Field names are shown as they appear in the calculator's English interface.
What they see (and what you receive) (5)
- Time to Save
- Down Payment Target
- Still Needed
- Current Savings
- Monthly Contribution
Definitions shown in the calculator (8)
- Down payment
- The cash paid toward a home’s purchase price at closing; the rest is borrowed. This calculator multiplies the target home price by your goal percentage to set the dollar target. A larger down payment means a smaller loan and lower payments, while a smaller one gets you into a home sooner with less saved.
- PMI
- Private mortgage insurance, which protects the lender on a conventional loan when the down payment is under 20%. It adds a monthly cost until enough equity builds. Under the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 it can be cancelled on request at 80% of the original value and ends automatically at 78%.
- Time to save
- How long until your savings reach the down payment target, given current savings, the monthly amount you add and the savings yield. The calculator steps forward month by month, adding interest and each contribution. If home prices rise while you save, the target moves too, so the real time may be longer.
- Annual percentage yield (APY)
- The yearly return on savings with compounding included, which is how banks quote savings rates. The calculator converts it to an equivalent monthly rate so that twelve months of growth equal the stated APY. On a short savings horizon it helps modestly; the monthly saving amount usually matters far more to the timeline.
- Loan-to-value ratio (LTV)
- The loan amount divided by the home’s value, as a percent; it is 100% minus your down payment percentage. A 10% down payment means 90% LTV. Lenders use it to set rates, decide whether mortgage insurance is required and determine which programs you qualify for, so the down payment goal directly sets it.
- Closing costs
- Fees paid to complete a purchase, such as lender charges, appraisal, title insurance, recording fees and prepaid taxes and insurance. They are separate from the down payment and are not included in this calculator’s target. Budgeting for both, plus a cash reserve after closing, gives a more complete savings goal.
- Still needed
- The down payment target minus what you have already saved. It is the gap that monthly saving and interest have to close. Because interest is earned along the way, the total of your future monthly contributions can end up somewhat less than this amount by the time you reach the goal.
- Monthly saving
- The amount added to your down payment fund each month. The calculator assumes it is deposited on schedule and starts earning the savings yield right away. On typical savings timelines it is the input with the largest effect: increasing it shortens the time to save far more than a slightly higher rate does.
Calculator disclaimer
Estimates only. Actual saving time depends on your real contributions and any interest earned. Home prices and required down payments change over time.
Calculator results are estimates for illustration, not Loan Estimates, pre-approvals or offers of credit.
Questions by topic
Down Payment Calculator: questions agents ask
How is the time to save calculated?
From current savings, the monthly contribution and the APY, compounded monthly, until the balance reaches the down payment target (target price × goal percentage). Changing any input recalculates the time.
Does it account for rising home prices?
No. The target price is fixed. If prices in the buyer's area are rising, suggest setting a slightly higher target, or revisiting the calculation every few months.
What down payment percentage should buyers enter?
Whatever they plan to put down. Many buyers assume 20%, but conventional, FHA and other programs allow less, with mortgage insurance. Testing 5% or 10% shows how much sooner they could buy.
Is a buyer two years away worth following up?
Yes, lightly. A useful touch every few months keeps you in mind. When their savings date approaches, they're likely to call the agent who helped them plan rather than starting from scratch.
Can I suggest down payment assistance?
You can mention that programs exist in many areas and that a participating lender can check eligibility. Avoid promising amounts or eligibility, which depend on income, price and location rules.
What do I say to a renter who sees a very long timeline?
Show the levers: a lower target price, a smaller down payment, a higher monthly amount, or assistance programs. Then offer to check back in. A realistic plan is more helpful than encouragement.
Where should this calculator live?
On your renter or 'thinking of buying' page, in newsletters and social posts, and behind an open-house QR code. It isn't for active listings, where the mortgage calculator fits better.
Can I route these leads to a separate CRM pipeline?
Yes, on Team and Brokerage. Give this calculator its own webhook URL so leads land in a nurture pipeline or get a 'future buyer' tag automatically.
Does it work in Spanish?
Yes. It runs in English and Spanish with a visitor language switch, so it suits bilingual newsletters and Spanish-language social posts.
Pairs well with
Calculators that pair well with this one
Put the Down Payment Calculator on your next listing
Included on every plan, including the free Agent plan. No card needed.