Compare the true long-term cost of renting against owning, including equity built, home appreciation, maintenance, and the opportunity cost of investing your down payment instead.
All numbers are estimates. Your real loan depends on credit, equity, property type, and current rates. Run the math, then request a free quote.
"My mortgage would be the same as my rent" is the most common, and most misleading, way to think about this decision. Renting and owning are fundamentally different financial structures. Renters don't build equity, but they don't pay property tax, maintenance, or closing costs. Buyers tie up a large down payment that could otherwise earn returns elsewhere.
This calculator accounts for all of that. It estimates total cost on each side over your time horizon, plus the equity you'd build through principal paydown and appreciation. The honest answer often depends on how long you'll stay.
Typically 5–7 years, but it depends heavily on rate, appreciation assumption, and rent inflation. The calculator's Break-Even Year tells you the specific answer for your inputs.
California's long-run historical average is roughly 3–5% per year, with significant volatility. We default to 3.0% as a conservative baseline.
Yes. The calculator assumes you'd invest your down payment at a rate you choose (default 6%). If you wouldn't otherwise invest it, lower this number.
Not in this version. Mortgage interest and property tax can be deductible up to certain caps if you itemize. We can model this in your free consultation.
We default to 1% of home value per year, a common rule of thumb. Newer construction may run lower; older or larger homes can run higher.
Yes, the math is identical. Just enter the actual price, down payment, and rate. We finance jumbo loans across California.
Take your inputs and get a real, written rate quote, usually within 1-2 business days.