Pick the closest market and we'll pre-fill realistic prices, rents and property taxes. Everything stays editable — these are starting points, not answers.
Every market has starter condos and trophy homes. This scales the starting numbers; you'll set the exact price next.
Note: taxes are estimated using one standard set of rules with your state's rates plugged in — close for most states, not a CPA. Fine-tune every rate in the nerdy section later.
The price drives everything — the loan, the taxes, the gain at sale. And if you'd rent out any part of it, a tenant can pay a chunk of the mortgage.
What you'd realistically pay, not the listing price.
Check comparable listings.
Cash you'd spend up front on paint, floors, or repairs. To keep the math conservative, we don't count it toward the home's resale value — if your renovation would clearly add value, buying does a bit better than shown.
The comparison is against your current life: the rent you pay now, and how long you'd realistically stay before selling.
Your real plan is a fair answer. For an apples-to-apples comparison, use what a similar home would rent for.
These guesses decide the answer, so we make them explicit instead of hiding them — every rate is nominal, with inflation baked in. Not sure? Pick an outlook — you can drag any dial later and watch the verdict move.
These are forward guesses, not predictions. For reference, US averages since 1990: homes ~4.5%/yr, stocks ~10%/yr, rents ~3.4%/yr — "Typical" deliberately haircuts stocks and homes below history, since most forward projections assume leaner decades ahead.
│ history: US homes averaged ~4.5%/yr, 1990–2024 (Case-Shiller national)
│ history: S&P 500 averaged ~10%/yr with dividends, 1990–2024
│ history: US rents averaged ~3.4%/yr, 1990–2024 (CPI rent index)
We'll compare two identical twins for the years ahead: one keeps renting and invests every dollar saved; the other buys. At the end, both cash out — after taxes — and we see who's richer.
Every dollar above, auditable. Click any number for its full derivation. Drag any slider — the story updates too.