Rent vs. Buy: An Honest Final Answer

Buying is not automatically better than renting. Renting makes sense when you might move in a few years, have a thin down payment, or live in a city where prices vastly outpace rents.

Buying wins when you plan to stay put for at least five to seven years and can afford the down payment plus ongoing maintenance. Closing costs and repairs eat into the math faster than people expect.

Crunch the numbers with an honest rent-versus-buy calculator before making a decision. Emotion and market hype should not choose your housing.