Rent versus Buy a Home Finance Calculator

If you love calculators, you will love this finance calculator that gives you your rent versus buy alternative. Essentially, it tells you if you are ready to buy a home or you should continue to rent. One reason folks buy homes and then get foreclosed on, a few years later, is because they bought before they were ready financially. Understanding the right time to buy is crucial. You should have answers to questions like; Is my job secure? Do I understand that escrow costs are in addition to my down payment, in most cases. Is my down payment big enough to leave me with an affordable payment? Do I understand the type of mortgage I am considering? Do I understand the hidden cost of purchasing and maintaining a home? All of these questions must be answered positively or you may be better off renting for a while.

Rent Vs. Buy Calculator
This calculator will help you to compare the costs of renting to the costs of buying a home. Since there are all kinds of forces at work behind the scenes (interest, property taxes, tax savings, appreciation, opportunity costs, closing costs, selling costs, etc.), comparing the cost of renting to the cost of buying is a lot more complicated than just comparing the monthly mortgage payment to the monthly rent payment. This calculator attempts to forecast the net effects of all the hidden forces so you can make an informed decision. Help & Instructions will appear in cells to the right of fields once you click in or tab into the fields.
Entry Descriptions	Entry Fields	Explain/Instruct
Monthly rent ($):
Monthly rental insurance ($):
Expected annual inflation rate (%):
Purchase price of home ($):
Down payment amount ($):
Length of mortgage term (# of years):
Mortgage's annual interest rate (%):
Discount points on purchase of home (%):
Origination fees (%):
Other loan costs ($):
Mortgage Insurance (PMI %):
Homeowner's insurance rate (%):
Monthly association dues ($):
Average monthly maintenance ($):
Annual property tax ($):
State plus Federal income tax rate (%):
Interest rate you expect to earn on savings (%):
Expected percentage your home will appreciate by each year (%):
Number of years you will stay at this property:
Realtor commission rate (%):

Result Descriptions	Result Fields	Explain/Instruct
Total estimated cost of renting:
Total estimated cost of buying:

Rent or Buy Calculator