The Standard of Living Runway

Last revised: September 29, 2026. Figures, program rules, and assumptions on this page — including the Cost of Living Index figure below — are current as of that date and are reviewed periodically; always confirm against current data before using with a client.

This is an educational illustration, not financial, credit, investment, legal or tax advice, and not a debt-management or credit-counseling service. It models a hypothetical outcome chosen by you or the buyer: how much of each buydown year's freed cash flow (and how much of any projected raise) gets redirected toward existing debt, on the schedule and payoff order (avalanche or snowball) selected above, with on-time minimum payments on every other debt and no new debt added. Real results depend on the buyer's actual payment behavior, the lender's terms on each debt, promotional or variable rates, balance transfers, fees, and other factors this tool does not model. The projected income increase is a planning assumption entered above, not a guarantee, commitment, or verification of future income. The "raise needed to bridge the gap" figure, when shown, is a reverse calculation of the annual raise, as a percentage of the current income entered, that would offset the payment increase when the buydown period ends — it is not a prediction that such a raise will occur. Whether to direct extra funds toward debt, savings, retirement, or another priority is a personal decision — we encourage speaking with a qualified financial advisor, tax professional, or an accredited nonprofit credit counselor (for example through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, nfcc.org) before acting on it. Andrew Zemon and Novus Home Mortgage do not provide financial planning, budgeting, investment, or credit-repair services, and this illustration is separate from and does not affect the terms of the mortgage loan itself. The Cost of Living figure is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), 12-month percent change, all items, not seasonally adjusted, most recently reported by the BLS — a national average, not this buyer's personal or local cost of living, and any comparison against income entered above is an approximation, not a household budget analysis. Income entered here stays on this page and is not stored or transmitted.

Estimates for illustration only. This is not a loan approval, a commitment to lend, an offer to extend credit, or a Loan Estimate. The payment figures used here are principal-and-interest only, based on the purchase price, down payment, and note rate entered above; they exclude property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, and HOA dues, which do not change between the full-rate and buydown-period payment and so do not affect the monthly relief amount shown. Actual interest rate, payment, and buydown structure availability depend on credit score, loan amount, occupancy, property type, loan program, and market conditions at the time of lock, and are subject to change without notice. Temporary buydowns are subject to agency and program guidelines, occupancy restrictions, and interested-party contribution limits negotiated per transaction. The free Lender-Paid 1-0, where toggled on above, is a $0-cost payment subsidy for Year 1 funded by Andy Zemon/Novus Home Mortgage — it does not change the note rate or APR, and the loan accrues interest at the full note rate for the entire term — available only under the same conditions as the Inflation Buster Buydown promotion: a purchase transaction with a contract ratified between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026 that closes by December 31, 2026. Outside that window, leave the toggle off and fund the 1-0 with seller or other cash instead. Andrew Zemon, NMLS #208916, Novus Home Mortgage, a division of Ixonia Bank, 5405 Ashlar Ave, Suite 101, Crozet, VA 22932, Branch NMLS #423065. NMLS Consumer Access. Equal Housing Opportunity. All loans subject to credit and property approval.