Renting and Housing Choices · Lesson 2 of 2
Rent or Buy? Compare the Real Costs
A DC-area worked example that compares renting at $2,000 a month with buying a $320,000 condo, including the costs first-time buyers often miss and why the number of years you stay matters.
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Parts of this lesson are not translated into your language yet, so they are shown in English.
In this lesson
What you will learn
- List the monthly and one-time costs of owning a home and compare them with renting.
- Use a worked example to compare the total cost of renting and buying over several years.
- Explain why the number of years you plan to stay changes the answer.
- Use a readiness checklist to decide whether to start preparing to buy.
How this connects to class: In class, Module 12 covers housing needs and wants, the choice between renting and buying, and what you can afford. This lesson adds a DC-area worked example over five years, the costs first-time buyers often miss, a break-even table, and a readiness checklist.
Words to know
- Principal and interest
- The two parts of a mortgage payment. Principal pays down the amount you borrowed. Interest is what the lender charges you to borrow.
- Condo or HOA fee
- A monthly fee that condo or homeowners association members pay for shared costs, such as building repairs, common areas, and sometimes water or trash.
- Private mortgage insurance (PMI)
- Insurance you may have to pay for when you put less than 20% down on a conventional loan. It protects the lender, not you.
- Closing costs
- Fees you pay to complete a home purchase, such as lender fees, the appraisal, title insurance, government taxes, and prepaid property tax and insurance.
- Equity
- The part of your home you own. It is the home's value minus what you still owe on the mortgage.
- Break-even point
- The point in time when the total cost of buying becomes lower than the total cost of renting.
- Down payment
- The part of the home's price that you pay in cash at the start. You borrow the rest with a mortgage.
- Itemize
- To list certain costs, such as mortgage interest and property tax, on your federal tax return to lower the income you pay tax on. You do this instead of taking the standard deduction.
The full cost of owning a home
Many people compare their rent with a mortgage payment. That is not a fair comparison. A homeowner pays many costs that a renter does not:
- Principal and interest: the loan payment itself.
- Property tax: in DC, most homes are taxed at $0.85 for every $100 of assessed value each year. DC's homestead deduction lowers the tax for owners who live in the home. In Maryland and Virginia, the rate depends on the county or city where the home is.
- Homeowners or condo insurance: covers your home and belongings.
- Condo or HOA fee: this can go up over time. A condo association can also charge a one-time "special assessment" for a big repair, like a new roof.
- Private mortgage insurance (PMI): often required if you put less than 20% down on a conventional loan.
- Repairs and upkeep: when the water heater breaks, there is no landlord to call. Save for this every month.
Example
Monthly cost: renting vs. buying a condo in DC
Kwame and Ama rent a one-bedroom apartment in Brookland, in Northeast DC, for $2,000 a month. They are looking at a one-bedroom condo nearby for $320,000. They would put 5% down and borrow $304,000 for 30 years at a fixed rate of 7%. That is close to the average 30-year rate in Freddie Mac's weekly survey in late September 2026, which was 7.03% on September 24. Your rate may be higher or lower.
| Monthly cost | Rent | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,000 | $0 |
| Renter's insurance | $15 | $0 |
| Principal and interest (7%, 30 years) | $0 | $2,023 |
| Property tax ($0.85 per $100, before any homestead deduction) | $0 | $227 |
| Condo fee | $0 | $450 |
| Condo owner's insurance | $0 | $30 |
| PMI | $0 | $125 |
| Savings for repairs | $0 | $100 |
| Total each month | $2,015 | $2,955 |
$320,000 × $0.85 ÷ $100 = $2,720 a year, or about $227 a month
In the first year, owning costs about $940 more each month than renting. The condo fee, insurance, PMI, and repair numbers are examples. Ask for the real condo fee and get insurance quotes for any home you consider.
Cash you need before you get the keys
Buying also takes a lot of cash at the start. In the example, Kwame and Ama need:
- Down payment: 5% of $320,000 is $16,000.
- Closing costs: about $9,000 in this example. Your lender must give you a Loan Estimate within three business days after you apply. It shows your real closing costs.
- Moving and early repairs or furniture: about $2,000.
$16,000 + $9,000 + $2,000 = $27,000 before move-in day
They should also keep an emergency fund after they pay all of this. Programs in DC, Maryland, and Virginia may help first-time buyers with the down payment and closing costs. See our lesson on down payment help.
By law, you can ask your loan servicer in writing to cancel PMI when your loan balance is scheduled to reach 80% of the home's original value, if you meet certain conditions, such as a good payment record. In this example, that takes almost 11 years.
Example
Five years later: what did each choice cost?
Now imagine Kwame and Ama must move after five years. We assume rent goes up 3% a year, owner costs other than the loan payment and PMI go up 3% a year, the condo's value goes up 3% a year, and selling costs are 6% of the sale price.
Renting: $127,419 rent + $900 renter's insurance = $128,319
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash at the start | $27,000 |
| Monthly costs for 60 months | $180,265 |
| Total paid | $207,265 |
| Sale price after five years | $370,968 |
| Minus selling costs (6%) | −$22,258 |
| Minus loan balance paid off at sale | −$286,160 |
| Cash back at sale | $62,550 |
| Net cost of buying ($207,265 − $62,550) | $144,715 |
Over five years, renting cost $16,396 less. Why? In the first five years, Kwame and Ama pay $121,351 in principal and interest, but $103,511 of that is interest. Only $17,840 pays down the loan.
If the condo's value does not go up at all, the cash back at sale is only $14,640, and the net cost of buying rises to $192,625. Home prices can stay flat or even fall. Also, the renters kept their $27,000 and spent less each month. If they save that money, renting looks even better in this example.
Break-even: why the number of years matters
The one-time costs of buying and selling are spread over the years you stay. The longer you stay, the smaller these costs are for each year. You also pay down more of the loan each year. Here is the same example over different lengths of time, if the condo's value goes up 3% a year.
| Years | Renting | Buying | Which cost less? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $74,722 | $99,601 | Renting, by $24,879 |
| 5 | $128,319 | $144,715 | Renting, by $16,396 |
| 7 | $185,159 | $188,737 | Renting, by $3,578 |
| 8 | $214,856 | $210,285 | Buying, by $4,571 |
| 10 | $276,933 | $252,338 | Buying, by $24,595 |
In this example, the break-even point comes in year 8. With different prices, rates, or fees, it could come sooner or much later. If the home's value stays flat, buying costs more than renting for all ten years.
Some owners can deduct mortgage interest and property tax on their federal tax return, but only if they itemize deductions. Many people take the standard deduction instead, so they get no extra tax savings. A free VITA tax volunteer can tell you what applies to you.
Watch out
Common traps on the way to buying
- "Paying rent is a waste of money." Rent pays for a place to live and the freedom to move. In the early years, most of a mortgage payment is interest, which you also do not get back.
- Rent-to-own or "lease-purchase" deals. You may pay extra each month toward buying the home later. If you miss a payment or cannot get a mortgage in time, you may lose all of that extra money. Some of these contracts also make you pay for repairs. Have a housing counselor or a lawyer review any contract before you sign. In DC, you can report unfair deals to the Office of the Attorney General.
- Buying the most expensive home a lender approves. A lender approval is not a budget. Make sure the full monthly cost still lets you save each month.
- Skipping the condo papers. Before you buy a condo, ask for the association's budget, its savings for repairs, and any planned special assessments.
Beyond money, and a readiness checklist
Money is not the only question. Think about:
- Flexibility: renters can move more easily for a new job or family needs.
- Stability: owners who keep up with the mortgage control their home and cannot be told to leave when a lease ends.
- Commute: a cheaper home far from work or Metro can cost more in time, gas, and fares.
- Schools: in DC and nearby counties, your address usually decides your assigned public school.
- Time and work: owners handle or pay for every repair.
Check each box that is true for you:
- We plan to stay in the area for many years. In our example, buying started to cost less only in year 8.
- We have cash for the down payment, closing costs, and moving, and we will still have an emergency fund after we buy.
- Our income is steady. Lenders often look at the last two years of work history. If we are self-employed or paid in cash, our tax returns show that income.
- We checked our credit reports from all three credit bureaus for free at AnnualCreditReport.com and fixed any errors.
- We can pay the full monthly cost of owning, not just the mortgage, and still save each month.
- Our other monthly debt payments are low. See our lesson on getting mortgage-ready to learn how lenders measure this.
- We met with a HUD-approved housing counselor or took a homebuyer education class.
No Social Security number? Most standard mortgage programs, including FHA loans, require one. Since May 2025, FHA loans are also only for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and a few other small groups. Some banks, credit unions, and community lenders offer mortgages to borrowers with an ITIN. A housing counselor can help you find them.
Tip
Start with a housing counselor, not a salesperson
A HUD-approved housing counselor works for a nonprofit or public agency, not for a lender or a seller. A counselor can go over your budget, credit, and savings, and can tell you about first-time buyer programs in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. Many down payment help programs require a homebuyer education class, and counselors often teach one. Search by ZIP code with the CFPB's housing counselor finder.
If you missed some boxes on the checklist, that is normal. Use your years of renting to save, build your credit, and pay down debt. Then check the list again next year.
Key takeaways
- The mortgage payment is only part of the cost. Add property tax, insurance, condo or HOA fees, mortgage insurance, and repairs.
- Buying has large one-time costs, and selling a home costs money too. That is why a short stay usually favors renting.
- In our example, renting cost less for each of the first seven years. Buying cost less only after that, and only because the home's value went up.
- In the first years of a mortgage, most of each payment goes to interest, so you build equity slowly.
- Before you decide, meet with a HUD-approved housing counselor. The help is often free or low cost.
Check your understanding
Answer the questions, then select Check my answers. Get 4 of 5 right to complete this lesson. This is practice: there is no time limit, and we do not keep your answers.
Go further
Trusted websites where you can learn more. These links go to other websites that Dollar Scholars does not run.
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Buying a House: Tools and Resources for Homebuyers (another website)
Step-by-step guides to preparing to buy, comparing loan offers, and understanding your Loan Estimate and closing papers.
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Find a Housing Counselor (another website)
Search by ZIP code for HUD-approved housing counselors who help with buying, renting, and credit, often at little or no cost.
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Real Property Tax Rates (another website)
DC's current property tax rates, so you can estimate the tax on a home you are thinking about buying.
This lesson is general financial education, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules and amounts change, so check important numbers with an official source.