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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.

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Self Employed >No Problem There is no doubt about the fact that it could be more difficult for you to get a mortgage loan if you are a free lance viola player than if you are a government accountant. Traditionally, lenders have been more cautious when evaluating loan applications from buyers who are self-employed than from those who work for a regular salary. If you are self-employed, there is no reason for you to shy away from applying for a home mortgage loan, especially if your earnings have been in the same field for at least two years. Before you begin your search for a house, it is a good idea to meet with an agent of your choice who will be happy to accompany you as you meet with one or more loan officers. They will probably want to analyze your tax returns for the past 2 or 3 years. Because people who are self-employed can write off many expenses that salaried individuals cannot, it is possible that self-employed individuals may look impoverished on paper. Try to get pre-approval from the lender, and ask for a letter to that effect which the real estate agent can attach to any offer you submit on a home. This will make you look more attractive to the sellers. See All Tips In The "Self Employed" Category > See Complete Library Of Hundreds Of Tips In 30+ Categories >

Q  According to Feng Shui, the art of home placement, what five elements are needed in a harmonious environment? A  Wood, fire, earth, metal and water must be balanced to create a happy, prosperous home. See More Real Estate Trivia >

Lynn Garafola and Team Nest Builder RE/MAX Platinum Group 200 Woodport Road Sparta, NJ 07871 973-222-3777 Fax: 973-726-5757 LynnGarafola@NUMBER1EXPERT.com Lynn Garafola, GRI, CRS, CLHMS, is a seasoned real estate veteran who has successfully closed more than $125 million in transactions and won numerous industry awards and accolades. Lynn has enjoyed helping over 400 families make moves in and out of Northern New Jersey over her 15 year career. Lynn is known for being a tireless advocate for her clients. When you are looking to buy, she takes the time to explore who you are and what you want, helping you discover what you need, what you like and what fits your budget. And then gets you into that home. When its time to sell, you can count on her guidance on preparing your home for sale and pricing it right. And then she takes over and markets it aggressively to get it sold for you. Not only is she very knowledgeable about the housing market in New Jersey, she is very personable and professional and stays in touch after the sale. You can count on Lynn to take care of ALL of your real estate needs. Call or email Lynn@MyNestBuilder.com today for an appointment with your real estate needs. www.MyNestBuilder.com is brought to you by Lynn Garafola and Team Nest Builder NUMBER1EXPERT™ in real estate for Sparta, Lake Mohawk and Randolph, New Jersey RE/MAX Platinum Group 200 Woodport Road Sparta, NJ 07871 973-726-5700 x 311 (office) 973-222-3777 (cell) Read Lynn Garafola and Team Nest Builder's Privacy Guarantee, Terms of Service, and Free & Without Obligation Pledge

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