A full year-by-year simulation. Appreciation, closing costs, selling costs, PMI, maintenance, rent inflation, and the investment return you’d earn on the down payment — all in one honest number and one clear chart.
Buy net cost = upfront (down payment + 3% closing) + all monthly outflows (P&I + tax + insurance + PMI + maintenance) − sale proceeds (home value − loan balance − 6% selling costs).
Rent net cost = cumulative rent (growing each year) + renters insurance − investment gain on the upfront cash you would have spent on the down payment.
The break-even year is the first year where buying becomes cheaper than renting. Short stays almost always favor renting; long stays favor buying.
Is home appreciation guaranteed? No. 3% is a long-term national average; real markets swing year to year.
What is a jumbo loan? A mortgage over roughly $832,750 in most of the US for 2026.