Welcome > Resources > Mortgage Calculators > Should You Rent or Buy? ...

Should You Rent or Buy?

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.

Definitions

Price of home

Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Cash on hand

Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Interest rate

The current interest rate you can receive on your mortgage.

Term in years

The number of years over which you will repay this loan.

Property tax rate

Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate

Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Loan origination rate

The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid

The total number of points paid to reduce the interest rate of your mortgage. Each point costs 1% of your mortgage balance.

Other closing costs

Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total closing costs

Total upfront costs to close your loan. This is the sum of the loan origination fee, amount paid for points and other closing costs.

Total for down payment

Total funds remaining for down payment.

Mortgage amount

Total amount of loan.

Investment return

The rate of return you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

The actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments you select. From January 1970 to December 2003, the average compounded rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was approximately 11.7% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment.

Monthly rent payment

Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

Income tax rate

Your current marginal income tax rate.

Expected inflation rate

Inflation rate used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at

Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission

The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment

Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Principal payment

Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Tax savings

The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $280. (At a tax rate of 28%).

Net house payment

Your house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price

Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly PI

Monthly principal and interest payment.

Monthly PMI

Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

The mortgage calculators are provided by KJE Computer Solutions, LLC and made available to NUMBER1EXPERT as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can't guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.

"A model of how the Internet can facilitate the process of deciding where to send your children to school" - America's Best School Profiles by The Heritage Foundation Massachusetts Public, Private and Charter Schools: Compare them using these top-rated, comprehensive reports.   Schools in Boston, Brookline and Newton

Time to Move >The Big Move The final step in selling a home is often considered the worst part--the packing and moving of all your possessions. The secret to a smooth move lies in advance planning. Arrange for the movers well in advance. Get estimates from several moving companies, and ask what their quotes include, what kind of services (and care) they provide, and which aspects of the move they will not handle. For example, many companies will not be responsible for removing light fixtures or other attached items. Insure your possessions adequately during the move. Most moving firms can arrange insurance for you. You may be able to extend your homeowner's coverage to insure the contents of your home during the move. Be sure to get the additional cost and conditions of this agreement in writing. If you prefer to do some packing yourself, it is better to confine your packing to the unbreakable items. Most companies recommend that you let them handle all the packing for an extra charge. They will not cover items against damage or breakage that they have not packed. See All Tips In The "Time to Move" Category > See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

Q  Who received the largest land grant ever given to an English subject for only two beaver skins per year? A  William Penn, the Quaker leader, received Pennsylvania and Delaware to settle a debt owed his father by King Charles II. See More Real Estate Trivia >

Ward Shifman William Raveis Real Estate and Home Services 10 Langley Road Newton Centre, MA. 02459 Phone: 617-633-7703 Fax: 617-762-4067 Email: wardshifman@NUMBER1EXPERT.com "Ward's refined style and performance in our behalf has completely revised my impression of the realty profession." Feedback such as this from Ward's clients is evidence of his strong customer care, effective listening and communication, as well as effective marketing strategies. Ward was the first agent to join William Raveis in Massachusetts, and is a consistent top producer both with-in the company and amongst all Massachusetts brokers. Ward services the Boston, Brookline, and Newton areas, along with Cambridge, Wellesley, the North Shore, South Shore, and many other neighborhoods. Ward's expertise is not just in sales, but in every aspect of real estate--this unique service will help you make the connections towards accomplishing your real estate goals. www.WardMovesBoston.com is brought to you by Ward Shifman NUMBER1EXPERT™ in real estate for Boston, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts Read Ward Shifman's Privacy Guarantee, Terms of Service, and Free & Without Obligation Pledge

NUMBER1EXPERT™
© Best Image Marketing and/or its clients.
All rights reserved. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.