Saving for your first home? This is the part nobody hands you a system for — the months of saving, the “can we actually afford this?” question, the three houses that blur together, and the second pile of money (closing costs) that surprises almost every first-time buyer.

The First-Home Buyer System is a 7-tab spreadsheet that runs the whole campaign: set the target, track every dollar saved, check the price against the classic lender guidelines, compare homes on their true monthly cost, and know your cash-to-close before you ever make an offer. It is the system for BEFORE you own the home — honest numbers first, house hunting second.

WHAT’S INSIDE — 7 TABS

1. START HERE — Your plan in one place: target price, down payment % and $, what you have already saved, and your target buy-by date.

2. DASHBOARD — Saved so far, % of your goal, the monthly pace you need to hit your date, total cash needed at closing, your estimated payment at your target price, and plain-language readiness flags that update as your numbers change.

3. SAVINGS TRACKER — One row per contribution with a running total that keeps itself, plus a monthly summary that fills itself in from your log. Watch the down payment actually happen.

4. AFFORDABILITY — The classic rules, priced. Your income and debts become an estimated maximum price two ways — the 28% housing rule and the 36% total-debt rule — with the full PITI breakdown at each. PMI is included whenever the down payment is under 20%: it is never waved away to make a price look affordable. Your target price gets checked against both rules, with verdicts.

5. COMPARE HOMES — Up to 3 real homes side by side, each priced the same fair way (same rate, term, tax and PMI assumptions): payment, taxes, insurance, PMI, HOA, commute, and your tour pros and cons. The lowest true monthly cost gets a star — and it is often NOT the cheapest house.

6. CLOSING COSTS — Every line estimated your way (% of price, flat $, or both), estimated vs actual columns, and the number the whole system is built around: total cash needed = down payment + closing costs − credits.

7. FIRST-YEAR COSTS — The costs after closing nobody budgets for: moving, utility deposits, new locks, tools, furniture basics, first repairs. Budgeted before they become a credit-card surprise.

YOU ALSO GET A FILLED-IN EXAMPLE

A fictional couple saving for a $385,000 first home in Florida: $21,400 saved toward a $38,500 down payment goal, a $2,137.50 monthly pace to their target date, and — honestly — a target price the workbook itself flags as above the 28% guideline, with the levers shown. Their three compared homes, closing costs ($13,552.50 estimated, $50,052.50 total cash needed) and first-year budget are all in place so you can see exactly how every tab works before you type a single number of your own.

IMPORTANT — PLEASE READ

This is an educational budgeting tool, not financial, mortgage or tax advice. Every figure is an estimate built from your inputs. Actual rates, taxes, insurance and loan terms come from your lender — get a real pre-approval before making an offer.

HOW IT WORKS

• Yellow cells are where you type. Grey cells are formulas — they calculate themselves.
• Works in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets (upload the file to Drive and open it — it converts). No macros, no add-ins, no subscription.
• One purchase, yours to keep and reuse for every home you consider. Nothing is shipped — instant download after checkout.

FILES INCLUDED
• RemodelLedger-First-Home-Buyer-System-BLANK.xlsx — your working copy (typical loan assumptions preset, all editable)
• RemodelLedger-First-Home-Buyer-System-EXAMPLE.xlsx — the filled-in example
• RemodelLedger-First-Home-Buyer-System-Quick-Start-Guide.pdf — setup and every tab explained in plain English

Quality note: this spreadsheet was created with the help of AI tools, then formula-tested — 155 automated checks recalculated and verified, including blank, zero-value and zero-interest-rate cases — and reviewed before listing. Every payment figure was cross-checked against an independent calculation to the cent.

BOUGHT THE HOUSE? WHAT’S NEXT (also in this shop)

• Home Renovation Planner System ($34.99) — the flagship remodel system, for the kitchen or bath that’s first on your list once the keys are yours.
• Whole Home Bundle ($34.99) — home inventory, maintenance scheduling and kitchen inventory in one package.
• Rental Property Tracker Starter ($14.99) — if your first home has a rental side to it.

Questions about your download? Message the shop — happy to help.

savings tracker

First Home Buyer Spreadsheet | Down Payment Savings Tracker, Affordability Calculator and House Comparison | Excel & Google Sheets