Rent vs Buy Analyzer

Home price ($)

Down payment (%)

Mortgage rate (%)

Monthly rent for a comparable place ($)

How long you would stay (years)

Home appreciation (% a year)

Rent growth (% a year)

Investment return (% a year)

What the down payment would earn if invested instead.

Property tax (% a year)

Maintenance (% a year)

Insurance ($ a year)

HOA / service charge ($ a month)

Net worth, both ways

Buying counts the home's value minus what is still owed and minus selling costs. Renting counts the invested down payment plus every month owning would have cost more.

How much the answer depends on guesses

Buying's advantage after your chosen horizon, across appreciation rates and mortgage rates. If the sign flips across this table, the honest conclusion is that nobody knows.