Guides
Everything you need to make the rent vs. buy decision with real math, not rules of thumb.
Start here
Should I rent or buy?The factors that actually matter, and the ones that don't. A framework for making the decision.Price-to-rent ratio by city (2026)Sortable table of 23 US cities with ratios, verdicts, and trends. Find where your city lands.The 4 rules of thumb (and which work)Price-to-rent ratio, the 5% rule, the 3-5 year rule, and the 28/36 rule. What each gets right and wrong.Your breakeven timelineBuying puts you in a hole on day one. Here's how to figure out when you climb back out.
The real costs
The true cost of owning a homeEvery hidden cost on a $400K home. Closing costs, taxes, PMI, maintenance, agent fees, and the SALT cap.First-year homeowner budgetMonth-by-month breakdown of what new homeowners actually spend in year one. No surprises.Is rent really throwing money away?Homeowners throw away $25K-$35K per year too. Here's the math most people ignore.
The deeper math
Your down payment, invested instead$100K at 7% becomes $197K in 10 years. How to compare that against home equity.Your mortgage deduction is probably $090% of filers take the standard deduction. Here's why the tax benefit is smaller than you think.How rates change the rent vs buy math1% adds $95K in interest and pushes your breakeven 1-2 years. The full picture.
City spotlights
Rent vs buy in NYCCo-op fees, mansion tax, and price-to-rent ratios above 30. Why the math is different here.Rent vs buy in San FranciscoProp 13, earthquake insurance, and 10-year breakevens. The SF math explained.Rent vs buy in AustinAffordable prices, but 2%+ property taxes quietly eat your equity.Rent vs buy in ChicagoOne of the few big cities where buying can work. If you survive the property taxes.Rent vs buy in DenverLow taxes, high prices, and a ratio of 22 that tricks people into thinking it's a deal.
Done reading? Put in your real numbers.
Run the calculator