Most people think homeownership cost = mortgage payment. That's maybe 60% of the picture.

Here's what actually goes into owning a home every year:

The obvious stuff:

• Mortgage principal + interest

• Property taxes

• Homeowner's insurance

The stuff people forget:

• Maintenance (budget 1-2% of home value annually)

• HOA fees

• Appliance replacements (average lifespan: 10-15 years)

• Roof replacement ($8K-$15K every 20-25 years)

• HVAC servicing ($150-$500/year)

The stuff nobody talks about:

• Opportunity cost of your down payment

• Interest paid over the life of your loan (on a $400K home at 7%, you'll pay ~$558K in interest over 30 years)

• Transaction costs when you sell (5-6% in agent fees alone)

The average homeowner spends $18,000-$22,000/year beyond their mortgage payment.

That's why we built HomeBase — a dashboard that tracks your true cost of ownership, equity growth, and helps you model refinance and sell scenarios so you actually know where you stand.

No more guessing. No more spreadsheets. Just clarity on the biggest financial decision of your life.