Should you rent or buy?
Compare the real, all-in cost of renting versus buying over the years you'll actually stay — and see exactly when buying pays off. No sign-up; the math runs in your browser.
Stay longer than 5 years and buying is the cheaper move; sell sooner and renting comes out ahead once you count closing and selling costs.
Buy = down payment + closing + all carrying costs, minus the equity you'd recover selling at year 7. Monthly P&I ≈ $2,528.
Estimate for illustration only — not financial advice. Assumes 2% buyer closing and 6% selling costs, and that rent and home value grow at the rates you set. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
It comes down to how long you stay
Add up owning
Down payment and closing up front, then mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance and HOA every year you own.
Give back the equity
Selling returns your appreciated home value minus the remaining loan and ~6% in selling costs — that offsets the carrying costs.
Compare to rent
Stack it against the rent you'd have paid, growing each year. The first year owning costs less is your breakeven.
▸How do you decide the breakeven year?
For each year you might sell, we total the full cost of owning — down payment, closing, mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance and HOA — then subtract the equity you'd recover by selling (appreciated value minus the remaining loan and selling costs). The breakeven year is the first year that total is less than the rent you'd have paid over the same period.
▸Why does buying lose money in the early years?
Closing costs going in and ~6% selling costs coming out are real money you don't recover. In the first few years your equity hasn't grown enough to cover them, so selling early usually favors renting. The longer you stay, the more those one-time costs get spread out.
▸Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The math runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, stored, or shared.
Thinking it might be time to buy?
An Emberline agent will turn your breakeven into a shortlist, saved searches, and instant alerts the moment a match hits the market.