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

Financing Your Home >Balloon Mortgages In loan terminology a "balloon" is the unpaid loan balance that must be paid in full on a specified due date. Federal savings and loan associations are permitted to make balloon mortgages with as little as five percent down and monthly payments that are smaller than the amount needed to fully amortize the debt. On the due date, which may be only a few years after the loan was made, the balance must be paid off or the loan must be renegotiated. Balloon borrowers must be cautious and plan carefully to avoid overlooking balloon payment obligations. It is easy to be lulled into complacency by the easy monthly payment terms. Today's complex economics have produced a wide variety of options for potential borrowers, who are often surprised by how much house they can afford to buy. Loan approval is ultimately in the lender's hands, but your real estate agent can help you to determine your real buying power. See All Tips In The "Financing Your Home" Category > See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

Q  A  See More Real Estate Trivia >

Charlotte Savoy Keller Willams Crossroads Two Offices to Serve You Ellicott City, MD and Glen Burnie, MD Office: 410 766-8000 Fax: 410-766-8005 Charlotte@HibanGroup.com Charlotte is a native of Howard County and has lived in Maryland her entire life. She currently lives in Ellicott City with her husband, Ike and their three sons Josh, Jalen and Braeden along with their goldendoodle Maya. Charlotte has been in the customer service arena for her entire adult life. She began her real estate career in 1998 and has rapidly taken on more and more responsibility as opportunities arose. She is an experienced agent, having helped more than 1000 customers with their home sale or purchase. Her knowledge of the market and the customer's needs makes her a very successful agent with many customers that return time and time again. This kind of experience can lead to only one conclusion…painless transactions for her customers! She is known for her sincerity, professionalism and enthusiasm for the real estate business. From 2004-2007, Charlotte has been the Top Producing agent at The Pat Hiban Real Estate Group.

Pat Hiban Keller Williams Crossroads Two Offices to Serve You Ellicott City, MD and Glen Burnie, MD Office: 410-766-8000 Fax: 410-766-8005 homes@hibangroup.com Pat was born at Georgetown Hospital and has been a Central Maryland resident since his birth. He is a graduate of Wilde Lake High School and Frostburg State University. He currently lives in Columbia with his wife, Kim; 2 daughters and 2 labradors, Libra and Piper. Pat is an active runner, weight trains and practices Tae Kwon Do. In his free time he enjoys his family and enjoys writing. We are currently the #2 Team out of 80,000+ agents in the USA! Last year we sold more than $150 Million Dollars in Real Estate, while providing a level of service that is second to none! www.HibanGroup.com is brought to you by Pat Hiban Real Estate Group NUMBER1EXPERT™ in real estate for Glen Burnie, Pasadena and Howard County, Maryland Read Pat Hiban Real Estate Group'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.