Rent or buy: how to read the result

The comparison is not a prediction of home prices. It runs the rent you enter against the cost of buying with the price, down payment, rate, and term you enter, over the years you choose.

If buying is ahead, that is the calculator’s result for those inputs. A different rate or a longer stay can flip it. The page When buying wins reruns the same formula at three rates.

What to change first

Move one input. The rate, the years you plan to stay, and the home price usually move the verdict more than a small change in insurance. The calculator states which path is ahead and by how much.

The result is still an estimate from the numbers you entered. It is not advice to sign a lease or a purchase contract.