House hacking calculator for Brownsville, TX
Starts from local data for Brownsville, TX (ZIP 78520): a 3-bedroom rent of $1,137 a month (range $1,137–$1,393), the Cameron County property tax rate of 1.50% and the 7.24% 30-year mortgage rate. Every value stays editable.
Your monthly housing cost
$1,837
Savings vs renting
$63.30
Rent from tenants
$1,710
Tenants cover
48%
If you move out
-$126.70
- Principal and interest
- $2,440
- Mortgage insurance
- $176.92
- Total ownership cost / mo
- $3,547
- Loan amount
- $386,000
- Cash needed to close
- $26,000
How this is calculated
- 1Loan = price × (1 − down payment %). Mortgage insurance = loan × yearly rate ÷ 12.
- 2Ownership cost = principal and interest + mortgage insurance + tax ÷ 12 + insurance ÷ 12 + HOA + utilities + maintenance % of the building's market rent (rent per unit × all units, yours included).
- 3Rent from tenants = rent per unit × units rented × (1 − vacancy %).
- 4Your housing cost = ownership cost − rent from tenants. Savings vs renting = your rent if you didn't buy − your housing cost.
- 5If you move out: rent from every unit × (1 − vacancy %) − ownership cost.
Not included: loan principal paydown, appreciation and tax effects, which usually make house hacking look better over time. Owner-occupied loans require you to live there, typically for at least a year.
Frequently asked questions
- What rent should I use for a 3-bedroom rental in Brownsville, TX?
- In ZIP 78520 the typical figure is $1,137 a month ($1,137–$1,393); across Brownsville's 5 ZIP codes it's $992–$1,393, with a median of $1,296. Check listings for the specific property.
- What is the property tax rate in Brownsville, TX?
- Owner-occupied homes in Cameron County pay a typical 1.50% of their value a year (Census ACS, median taxes paid ÷ median home value, Dec 31, 2024). Investors often pay more after a purchase: the home is reassessed at the sale price and there is no homestead exemption.
- What is the current 30-year mortgage rate?
- The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.24% in the week of Oct 29, 2026 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED). It's a national average for owner-occupied loans; investment property loans usually cost more.