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When to Rent vs. Buy

Determining whether to buy or rent your home involves a complex decision-making process. You’ll need to have an idea of how long you plan to stay in the home, for starters. Next, you’ll want to figure out your housing budget while keeping in mind your other financial goals such as retirement and charitable giving.

As you consider putting down roots in a home of your own, it's important to understand that homeownership comes with costs that you may not have had as a renter. In addition to your monthly payment and interest, you will be responsible for local property taxes and insurance. You should also plan to put away funds for household repairs, which can cost about 1% of the home’s total value each year.

While some costs may increase, the benefits of homeownership are many. In addition to owning a place of your own, you may be able to build wealth as your home increases in value over time. You will also have much more control over repairs and improvements, and there’s a good chance you’ll save on taxes!

If you’re ready to explore your options in more detail, get in touch with one of our local Loan Officers today.

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About these results

  • Mortgage insurance: Sometimes referred to as private mortgage insurance (PMI), this type of insurance is typically required when your down payment is less than 20% of the value of your home. The cost of mortgage insurance can vary; we have assumed a rate of 0.5% of the original loan amount.
  • Mortgage type: No loan type is presumed in these calculators. The type of mortgage you choose can have a dramatic impact on the amount you can afford, especially if you have limited savings. 
  • Monthly out-of-pocket costs: These reflect your total monthly cost, based on the inputs, to rent or to own. In most cases, renting will cost less out-of-pocket than owning. This does not reflect equity growth through loan repayment or the amount a home may increase in value.
  • Total costs: These values reflect the total, cumulative costs to rent versus own. While there is no return on renting, the cost of ownership reflects the equity homeowners gain through repayment of the loan and increases in home value while also accounting for the closing costs and a 6% commission to a real estate agent upon the sale of the home.
  • Home equity: This shows the estimated value of the home in a given year minus the remaining loan balance.
These calculations do not reflect all costs of homeownership and are for example purposes only. Actual amounts and interest rate options may vary. This is not a commitment to make a loan. Not all who apply will qualify. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualifications. Contact a Castle & Cooke Mortgage Loan Officer for an accurate, personalized quote.

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