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Will You Buy or Rent Your New Home?
A home is one of the most expensive purchases most of us will ever make during our
lifetime. Whether you decide to rent or buy, either choice comes with its own rewards
and risks. Homeownership offers many advantages over renting including:
Advantages of Buying versus Renting
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Buying |
Renting |
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Tax write-off
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No tax write-off.
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You can upgrade your home as you see fit.
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Need permission to make any changes.
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Build equity in your home as value appreciates.
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Your money goes toward the landlord’s equity.
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Control of loan payment options.
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Rent can increase periodically.
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Pride of homeownership. |
You have no ownership. |
While owning your own home has many benefits, there are still risks to consider:
Disadvantages of Buying versus Renting
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You’re responsible for property maintenance .
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Your Landlord or manager handles general repairs.
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Need to sell, rent or lease property in order to re-locate. May have to wait until
market conditions are right.
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Freedom to move once your lease expires.
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You pay for all your own utilities, property taxes, and
insurance.
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May include utilities, property taxes, and property insurance.
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Home improvement upgrades can run into thousands of dollars.
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You’re not financially responsible for improvements.
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However, all things considered, homeownership is by far one of the best single investments
you can make given the potential long-term benefits.
When does it make sense to buy?
People who have generally rented their whole lives purchase a home for various
reasons. Owning something of value with a chance of watching their investment appreciate
is one reason. Purchasing a home to save money over the long-term
is another.
Example
Let’s say you’re currently renting a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment. Your monthly rent
is $1,000. You find a 2-bedroom, 2-bath at a market price
of $250,000 (roughly the national average). You have $25,000 saved – enough for
a 10% down payment. For the purpose of this example, you’re
looking to finance $225,000 which includesclosing costs
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Using one of several mortgage calculators on the Internet, your monthly payment
would be approximately $1,385 for a 30 yr. fixed loan at an APR of 6.20%
(the national average). After taxes and appreciation in equity your monthly payment
over five years would average $499 per month.
Costs Savings of Buying versus Renting
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Calculations
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Rent
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Purchase
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Monthly rent/estimated mortgage payment
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$1,000
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$1,385
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Purchase price of home
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$250,000
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Percentage of down payment
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25,000
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Length of loan term (years)
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30
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Interest rate
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6.2%
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Years you plan to stay in the home
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5
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Yearly property tax rate
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1%
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Yearly home value appreciation rate
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4%
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Results
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Price of home after appreciation
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$304,163
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Remaining balance after 5 years
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209,887
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Equity in house
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94,276
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Tax savings (28% bracket)
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23,030
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Avg. monthly payment over time
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1,047
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499
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Total payments (over 5 years)
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$62,820
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$29,973
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Total savings if buying
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$32,847
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Source: Ginniemae.gov. These calculations are estimates only. You should always
The outcome could dramatically change should an unforeseen economic downturn or
financial hardship occur (e.g., home improvement costs, catastrophic damage, etc.).
While, no one can predict if home appreciation values will spiral downward, or if
mortgage interest rates will rise it’s clear that under the right circumstances home ownership can be financially
rewarding.
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