How long do you
need to stay?
The right answer to "should I buy?" depends on your time horizon. Below break-even years, renting builds more net wealth (your down payment compounds in the market faster than home appreciation gives you). Above it, buying wins.
Market assumptions
What this is + isn't
A wealth-comparison framework.
This is a SCREENING calculator. It compares net wealth after N years for a homeowner (equity) vs a renter (down payment invested in the market) under your input assumptions.
What it captures:home appreciation, rent increases, investment returns, principal pay-down, ongoing ownership costs (tax, insurance, HOA, maintenance).
What it doesn't capture:(1) tax deductions on mortgage interest + property tax, which can shorten break-even by 1-3 years for itemizing taxpayers; (2) transaction costs on sale (5-8% of price); (3) local market-cycle risk (appreciation is rarely linear); (4) lifestyle factors that aren't financial.
For your specific scenario, a REHL-vetted lender + fee- only planner can walk through it during pre-qual. The calculator gives you the conversation starter.
Get a pre-qualification
If buying makes sense for your time horizon, a REHL-vetted lender can give you the actual rate you'd get with your credit profile + concrete monthly numbers.
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